cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mycorrhizal fungi influence on silver uptake and membrane protein gene expression following silver nanoparticle exposure

The rapid growth of nanotechnology and the high demand for nanomaterial use have greatly increased the risk of particle release into the environment. Understanding nanomaterial interactions with crop species and their associated microorganisms is critical to food safety and security. In the current study, tomato was inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi and subsequently exposed to 12, 24, or 36 mg/kg of 2- or 15-nm silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). Mycorrhizal (M) and non-mycorrhizal (NM) tomatoes exposed to 36 mg/kg of 2-nm Ag-NPs accumulated 1300 and 1600 μg/g silver in their tissues, respectively. Mycorrhizal plants accumulated 14% less silver compared to non-mycorrhizal plants. To begin to understand the mechanisms by which plants accumulate NPs, the expression of two aquaporin channel genes, the plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) and the tonoplast membrane intrinsic protein (TIP), and one potassium channel (KC) gene were studied. In non-mycorrhizal plants, the expression of KC, PIP, and TIP was eight, five, and nine times higher than the control, respectively. These expressions for mycorrhizal plants were 5.8, 3.5, and 2 times higher than controls, respectively. The expression of KC and PIP, which are located on the plasma membrane, was 3.5 and 2.5, respectively, times higher than TIP, which is located on the tonoplast. PIP expression was significantly higher in NM tomatoes exposed to 12 mg/kg of 2-nm Ag-NPs compared to M plants. These results show that mycorrhizal colonization decreases Ag accumulation in NP-exposed plants and also moderates changes in expression level of membrane transport proteins.
Dynamic geometry as a context for exploring conjectures

The purpose of this paper is to provide examples of ‘non-traditional’ proof-related activities that can explored in a dynamic geometry environment by university and high school students of mathematics. These propositions were encountered in the dynamic geometry environment. The author believes that teachers can ask their students to construct proofs for these propositions.
Idolatrous Reading: Subversive Fantasy and Domestic Ideology

Timothy L. Carens, “Idolatrous Reading: Subversive Fantasy and Domestic Ideology” (pp. 238–266) In nineteenth-century Britain, patriarchal culture revealed its anxieties about female subjectivity and anxiety through an extensive debate about what young women should read. As critics have already shown, many writers in the period disparaged romantic novels by comparing them to unhealthy food, addictive drugs, or even illicit sexual encounters. The figure of idolatry played a significant role in this debate as well, suggesting that young female readers might betray the true god of the middle-class patriarchal order by worshiping more gratifying alternatives. If the language of idolatry generally connoted heretical transgression, emergent feminist writers such as Mary Elizabeth Braddon found that they could also use it to articulate a woman’s longing for the power to shape her own dreams. In Braddon’s The Doctor’s Wife (1864), a figure used to disparage women who neglect their role within the domestic order thus acquires a new and intensely ironic life as a way to imagine an escape from it.
Associations Between Substance Use Disorders and Suicidal Ideation: An Investigation of Latino Emerging Adults:

Suicide is ranked as the second leading cause of death among emerging adults (aged 18–25 years). The purpose of this study was to test the associations between substance use disorders and suicidal ...
Misappropropriation on a Global Scale: Extraterritoriality and Applicable Law in Transborder Trade Secrecy Cases

In recent years, trade secrecy has come to the fore as changes such as value chain production methods, employee mobility, and cloud storage have increased the opportunity to take and use valuable information without authorization. The United States recently created a federal private right of action for trade secret misappropriation and a Directive of the European Union imposes on member states a requirement that they too enact trade secrecy protection. Other countries are similarly revising their trade secrecy laws. While these laws share a framework based on the TRIPS Agreement, they differ in significant respects, raising the question which law ought to apply to transnational cases. This paper, authored jointly by an intellectual property professor and a conflicts scholar, is among the first to consider the issue. We do so in the context of exclusion orders in the International Court of Trade (ITC) under the Tariff Act, actions under the new federal statute, and state trade secrecy claims. We suggest that because the ITC provides a remedy that affects only US markets, the United States can always apply its own law to US trade secrets—trade secrets developed in the United States. In other contexts, we believe courts should have the ability to apply US or foreign law based on the principle that the law of the place of development of the trade secret governs if it is foreseeable by the defendant. If not, the applicable law is likely to be the place where the defendant acted.
Antimicrobial activity of amixicile against Treponema denticola and other oral spirochetes associated with periodontal disease.

Background Periodontal disease is a polymicrobial infection characterized by inflammation of the gingiva, alveolar bone resorption and tooth loss. As periodontal disease progresses, oral treponemes (spirochetes) become dominant bacteria in periodontal pockets. Oral treponemes are anaerobes and all encode the enzyme pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) which catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. Here we assess the susceptibility of oral treponemes to amixicile (AMIX), a novel inhibitor of PFOR. Methods The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AMIX against several oral treponeme species was determined. The impact of AMIX on processes relevant to virulence including motility, H2 S production, and complement evasion were determined. Results The growth of all oral treponeme species tested was inhibited by AMIX with MIC concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.5-1.5 μg/mL. AMIX significantly reduced motility, caused a dose-dependent decrease in hydrogen sulfide production and increased sensitivity to killing by human complement (i.e., serum sensitivity). Conclusions AMIX is effective in vitro in inhibiting growth and other processes central to virulence. AMIX could serve could serve as a new selective therapeutic tool for the treatment of periodontal disease.
Snap-gauge compared to a full nocturnal penile tumescence study for evaluation of patients with erectile impotence.

AbstractA total of 50 consecutive male patients underwent simultaneous Snap-Gauge**Dacomed, Minneapolis, Minnesota. and full nocturnal penile tumescence evaluation with objective rigidity measurements to determine the correlation between the 2 studies. Subsequent clinical evaluation was conducted in patients in whom the 2 tests differed regarding diagnoses to determine which test more accurately predicted the clinical outcome. One patient was excluded from the study for technical reasons. Of 14 patients who had a normal Snap-Gauge evaluation, defined by breakage of all 3 bands, 12 (86%) had a normal and 2 (14%) had an abnormal nocturnal penile tumescence evaluation. A total of 28 patients failed to break any of the Snap-Gauge bands and 7 broke only 1 or 2 bands. Of these 35 patients with an abnormal Snap-Gauge study 14 (40%) had a normal and 21 (60%) had an abnormal nocturnal penile tumescence evaluation.In a subsequent clinical evaluation 1 of the 2 patients with a normal Snap-Gauge study and an abnormal...
Coordinated Control of Wind Turbine Generator and Energy Storage System for Frequency Regulation under Temporal Logic Specifications

In this paper, we present a coordinated control method for wind turbine generator and energy storage system for frequency regulation with provable probabilistic guarantees in the stochastic environment of wind power generation. The regulation requirement is specified in the form of metric temporal logic (MTL). We present the stochastic control bisimulation function, which bounds the divergence of the trajectories of the stochastic control system and the diffusionless deterministic control system in a probabilistic fashion. We first design a feedforward controller by solving an optimization problem for the nominal trajectory of the deterministic control system with robustness against initial state variations and stochastic uncertainties. Then we generate a feedback control law from the data of the simulated trajectories. We implement our control method on a four-bus system and test the effectiveness of the method with a generation loss disturbance. We also test the advantage of the feedback controller over the feedforward controller when unexpected disturbance occurs.
Robotic process automation for auditing

ABSTRACT The advent of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has the potential to disrupt the traditional audit model. With its capability to automate rules-based tasks that are repetitive and manual, R...
Systematic Review of Interventions Involving Aided AAC Modeling for Children With Complex Communication Needs

Building the communicative competence of individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) requires intervention and support. This systematic review examined experimental studies involving aided AAC modeling to promote the expressive communication of children and youth (i.e., birth to age 21) with complex communication needs. A search yielded 48 studies involving 267 participants. Interventions were categorized according to three different approaches to aided AAC modeling-augmented input, models as prompts, and models within instructional demonstrations. Although the procedures varied, interventions were generally effective at improving diverse measures of expressive communication. This review provides insight for both researchers and practitioners by describing interventions involving three distinct approaches to aided AAC modeling, highlighting areas needing future research, and offering implications for practice.
Challenges in the Assessment and Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)7 is a complex endocrine-mediated disorder in women with a prevalence of 8% to 13%. Women with PCOS typically present with heterogeneous clinical signs and symptoms such as excess hair growth, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, and metabolic issues. PCOS is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, and it may increase risks for other comorbidities like endometrial cancer and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. PCOS is also associated with anxiety, depression, and other psychosocial manifestations. To date, there are no universal criteria for PCOS diagnosis. As a result, women with the disorder often report significant delays (>2 years) in diagnosis and poor follow-up care. Three sets of diagnostic criteria currently exist to define PCOS: ( a ) NIH, ( b ) Rotterdam, and ( c ) Androgen Excess Society criteria. Recently the International Evidence-Based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 2018 endorsed the use of the Rotterdam criteria in adult women. To diagnose PCOS using the Rotterdam criteria, women must meet at least 2 of the following: ovulatory abnormalities, hyperandrogenism (clinical, biochemical, or both), or polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM). The clinician must also exclude several disorders with similar manifestations before a diagnosis can be finalized. In this article, 5 experts discuss the challenges surrounding the current diagnostic criteria, available biomarkers, and the timely diagnosis and treatment of women with PCOS. Who should be screened or tested for PCOS and, despite the high prevalence, why is PCOS often overlooked? Chris McCartney: PCOS should be considered in reproductive-aged women with clinical hyperandrogenism (e.g., hirsutism, acne, male-pattern hair loss), abnormal menstrual bleeding (oligo/amenorrhea, irregular bleeding patterns), or subfertility. Early recognition of PCOS is important for several reasons. For example, accurate attribution of patient symptoms and initiation of appropriate treatments are expected to improve patient well-being. PCOS is also associated …
Abstract # 2057 Inflammation and blood-to-brain transport of tumor-derived exosomes

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that mediate intra-cellular communication and are found in nearly all biological fluids. They are studied for their possible use as a biomarker and as a tool for targeted delivery of biomolecules. Exosomes are able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This study surveyed exosomes derived from human and mouse tumor cell types to determine i.) which cross the BBB and ii.) whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation affects blood-to-brain exosome entry rates. Exosomes were isolated by size exclusion chromatography from supernatants of the following tumor cell lines: SCC-7 (murine cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma), MEL-526 (human melanoma) and SCC-90 (human squamous cell carcinoma). The exosomes ranged in size from 30 to 150 nm (qNano) and carried TSG101, confirming their endocytic origin. They were radioactively labeled and injected IV into mice treated with multiple injections of saline or LPS (3 mg/kg), a model of neuroinflammation known to alter BBB functions. Exosome levels were measured in brain and serum. All exosomes crossed the BBB, but at different rates. SCC-7 had an entry rate (Ki) of 0.162 ± 0.015 μL/g-min, MEL-526 0.0911 ± 0.035 μL/g-min and SCC-90 of 0.123 ± 0.015 μL/g-min. LPS treatment had a variable effect on exosome transport: SCC-7 uptake was unaffected, MEL-526 uptake was decreased and SCC-90 uptake was increased. These results show that the BBB is differentially permeable to tumor-derived exosomes and that inflammation has variable effects on their transport.
Food allocation and feeding behaviours of Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, adults and chicks

In a food-limited system, parents may have to allocate resources in ways that do not benefit all their offspring equally. We investigated food allocation and parent and chick behaviours in Magellanic penguins at their colony in Punta Tombo, Argentina, by observing feedings in one- and two-chick broods after the chicks were more than 20 days of age. Feeds lasted 21 min on average, and the length of a feed was not correlated either with the number of chicks in a brood, or with the amount of food the parents gave. Parents with two-chick broods distributed food evenly to both chicks. Although single chicks were fed more than chicks with siblings, as a proportion of a chick's start weight, both single chicks and lighter chicks in two-chick broods received significantly more food than heavier chicks. Chicks continued begging after the last feed in nearly half of the two-chick broods, suggesting they were not sated and so are food-limited. In linear mixed-effects models that considered, respectively, the absolute amount of food a chick received and the amount of food it received as a proportion of its start weight, chick begging was the most significant predictor of how much it was fed. Jostling behaviours between the chicks did not correlate with the amount of food either one received. Parental nonfeeding behaviours in two-chick broods (e.g. bending towards a chick and opening the bill but not regurgitating food) were more frequently directed at the lighter chick, but did not correlate with the amount of food a chick received. These results suggest (1) parents are motived to feed their chicks quickly, (2) parents try to allocate food equally to chicks of this age and (3) chicks devote most of their energy trying to get fed by the parent, rather than competing antagonistically with one another.
Advancements in the Management of Optic Pathway Gliomas

Optic pathway gliomas are the most common cause of vision loss in patients with neurofibromatosis and are clinically seen in 1–5% patients and radiologically evident in 15%. Clinical surveillance with MRI is required for diagnosis. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation with future prospects of targeted treatment involving the mTOR pathway.
Pediatric Endonasal Dacryocystorhinostomy

Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction most often resolves spontaneously or following nasolacrimal probing with or without silicone intubation. If probing and intubation fail to resolve tearing in children with nasolacrimal duct obstruction, dacryocystorhinostomy is indicated. This may be performed either externally or endonasally. An endonasal approach has the advantages of no external scarring, shorter recovery time, and preservation of the lacrimal pump with a comparable success rate to external dacryocystorhinostomy. Unique anatomical considerations when performing endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy in children include the lower insertion of the cribriform plate and smaller overall dimensions of the nasal passages. Complications of endonasal DCR include extrusion of the silicone intubation tube, synechiae or granuloma formation, and nasal vestibule abrasion.
Sexes on the brain: Sex as multiple biological variables in the neuronal control of feeding

Neuronal interactions at the level of vagal, homeostatic, and hedonic circuitry work to regulate the neuronal control of feeding. This integrative system appears to vary across sex and gender in the animal and human worlds. Most feeding research investigating these variations across sex and gender focus on how the organizational and activational mechanisms of hormones contribute to these differences. However, in limited studies spanning both the central and peripheral nervous systems, sex differences in feeding have been shown to manifest not just at the level of the hormonal, but also at the chromosomal, epigenetic, cellular, and even circuitry levels to alter food intake. In this review, we provide a brief orientation to the current understanding of how these neuronal systems interact before dissecting selected studies from the recent literature to exemplify how feeding physiology at all levels can be affected by the various components of sex.
In older adults with a history of falls, interventions to reduce use of fall risk-increasing drugs do not reduce falls.

Source Citation Hart LA, Phelan EA, Yi JY, Marcum ZA, Gray SL. Use of fall risk-increasing drugs around a fall-related injury in older adults: a systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020. [Epub ahe...
The role of industry and the private sector in promoting the "4 per 1000" initiative and other negative emission technologies

Abstract The need for adopting negative emission technologies (NETs) is greater now than ever before. The “4 per 1000” (4p1000) initiative, launched during the COP 21 in Paris in 2015, based on translating the science of soil carbon sequestration into action at the global scale, is one example of a broader set of negative emission technologies (NETs). While governments and non-governmental organizations are voluntarily implementing the aspirational 4p1000, its adoption and pledges by industry or the private sector is the driving force to accelerate the process of re-carbonization of soil and the terrestrial biosphere. The pledge of achieving carbon (C) neutrality by 2030 or 2050 by some prominent industries is encouraging, and it can serve as a role model for other industries to follow. Adoption of the 4p1000 concept by agro-industries (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, farm machinery, irrigation, food processing) can promote and accelerate adoption of recommended management practices which create a positive/soil ecosystem carbon budget and enhance C sequestration. This review article describes examples of the emission-neutral concept already adopted by some industries, outlines strategies to promote 4p1000 and NETs, and discusses approaches to advance site-specific NETs. These techniques may include conservation agriculture, cover cropping, precision agriculture, etc., facilitated by artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and robots. Innovative methods of soil sampling as well as remote sensing and mapping of SOC stock are pertinent to promoting NETs and 4p1000. Payments to land managers and farmers for provisioning of ecosystem services through C sequestration in soil and the biosphere can advance the mission of 4p1000. Amongst strategies of encouraging industries to adopt NETs, implementation of a “Healthy Soil Act” at the state, national, and global level could be a step in the right direction. Market-based economic incentives to industry may be another option to promote adoption of NETs. Similar to U.S. EPA Clean Air Act of 1963 and the U.S. EPA Clean Water Act of 1972, there is a strong need to enact a Healthy Soil Act globally. An effective implementation of the trinity of Acts (air, water, and soil) at the national and global scale will accelerate the process of re-carbonization of the soil and the terrestrial biosphere while also strengthening the provisioning of essential ecosystem services.
Placenta specific gene targeting to study histone lysine demethylase and androgen signaling in ruminant placenta.

Abstract Reproductive efficiency is critically dependent on embryo survival, establishment of a successful pregnancy and placental development. Recent advances in gene editing technology have enabled investigators to use gene knockdown and knockout approaches to better understand the role of hormone signaling in placental function and fetal growth and development. In this review, an overview of ruminant placentation will be provided, including recent data highlighting the role of histone lysine demethylase 1A and androgen signaling in ruminant placenta and pregnancy. Studies in ruminant placenta establish a role for histone lysine demethylase 1A in controlling genetic networks necessary for important cellular events such as cell proliferation and angiogenesis, as well as androgen receptor signaling during early placentation.
Leaving home ain’t easy: Citizen compliance with local government hurricane evacuation orders

Although local officials often issue policy directives and urge residents to comply, many policy directives lack monitoring or enforcement mechanisms. Without strong enforcement mechanisms, how can public officials increase citizen cooperation? We examine this question in the context of hurricane evacuation orders. Do different communication frames impact public compliance with evacuation orders? Analyzing data on Florida residents, the results of a survey experiment show that respondents exposed to a statement lacking certainty were significantly less willing to evacuate than the control group, and other communication strategies-including describing incentives and potential enforcement mechanisms-had no impact on willingness to cooperate with an evacuation order. The results suggest that uncertain government messaging may decrease policy compliance in cases lacking strong enforcement mechanisms.
The Moral Lessons of Covid-19: A Call for Renewal.

The Covid-19 pandemic struck physicians at a time of unprecedented dissatisfaction and burnout, providing a stress test whose lessons might guide structural changes in healthcare. While selflessly rescuing patients from death, many doctors were exposed to unacceptable risk, with little protection for themselves, and, by extension, for their families and patients. This essay examines the basis and limits of duty to treat in a time of crisis and explores how these experiences could leave doctors morally stressed and even compromised. We question whether a physician-patient relationship that treats patients' safety and well-being as separate from their doctors' personal and professional values, needs, and dignity is the best way to deliver care. Such questions predated coronavirus but were brought to the forefront because of the epidemic. As physicians process their experiences, we hope to begin a deeper moral and social conversation that might help us be better prepared for future crises.
Extra-Judicial Capacity

This short essay, prepared for a symposium on Andy Coan's book Rationing the Constitution, examines how extra-judicial capacity shapes constitutional law. Coan powerfully shows how the limits of judicial capacity shape constitutional doctrine. Complementing his account, I consider how forces outside of courts may do the same. "Constitutional communities" — people who interpret, discuss, and invoke constitutions — appear to be both prerequisites to constitutional function and variables that may shape constitutional meaning. I discuss these points by drawing on state constitutional law.
Optimizing transfusion management of multiple myeloma patients receiving daratumumab-based regimens

Background Daratumumab, a human anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody used to treat multiple myeloma, interferes with pretransfusion testing and can mask alloantibodies. Incidence of alloimmunization in patients on daratumumab has not been well characterized, and optimal transfusion guidelines regarding prophylactic antigen matching, accounting for both patient safety and efficiency, have not been well established for these patients. Methods Records of patients who received daratumumab between January 1, 2014 and July 2, 2019 were reviewed. Daratumumab interference with pretransfusion testing was managed by testing with reagent red blood cells (RBCs) treated with 0.2 M dithiothreitol. When daratumumab was present during antibody testing, patients were transfused with RBC units prophylactically matched for D, C, c, E, e, and K antigens per hospital policy. Results Out of 90 patients identified, 52 received a total of 638 RBC transfusions (average of 12.3 units per patient, SD 17.2, range 1-105, median 5 among those transfused). Alloantibodies existing before daratumumab initiation were identified in seven patients. No new alloantibodies were detected in any patients after starting daratumumab treatment. Conclusions The incidence of alloimmunization in patients receiving daratumumab is low. Whether this is due to the effect of daratumumab, underlying pathophysiology, or other factors, is unknown. Because these patients require a large number of RBC transfusions overall and have little observed alloimmunization, phenotype matching (beyond RhD) may be unnecessary. Since the use of dithiothreitol cannot rule out the presence of anti-K, we recommend transfusion of ABO-compatible units, prophylactically matched for the D and K antigens only.
Public Employee Compensation and the Efficacy of Privatization Alternatives in US State and Local Governments

This article investigates the evidence used in the debate over public-sector collective bargaining and privatization as US states attempted to resolve their budget problems. Specifically, the article evaluates the research on whether US state and local government workers are overpaid and whether privatization provides a cost-effective alternative to the provision of public services by public employees. All recent studies find that state and local public employees earn on average lower wages than comparable private-sector workers and on average receive better health benefits and pensions than private-sector employees. Most studies find that the better benefits offset lower wages on average, and there is no state and local public employee compensation premium. The research on privatization in the USA indicates that it has reached something of an equilibrium with approximately one-quarter of municipal public services being provided by private organizations. The major costs of privatization include overhead costs of competitive bidding, monitoring, oversight, and evaluation, which if done properly can often offset any privatization cost advantage, while if privatization is done without adequate controls, it can result in corruption, poor quality services, and then demands for reverse privatization.
Status of fusion reactor blanket design

This paper provides a brief review of the Blanket Comparison and Selection Study (BCSS)1 and an overview of more recent fusion reactor blanket design efforts. Specific areas covered include improve...
Sybil-resilient online content voting

Obtaining user opinion (using votes) is essential to ranking user-generated online content. However, any content voting system is susceptible to the Sybil attack where adversaries can out-vote real users by creating many Sybil identities. In this paper, we present SumUp, a Sybilresilient vote aggregation system that leverages the trust network among users to defend against Sybil attacks. SumUp uses the technique of adaptive vote flow aggregation to limit the number of bogus votes cast by adversaries to no more than the number of attack edges in the trust network (with high probability). Using user feed-back on votes, SumUp further restricts the voting power of adversaries who continuously misbehave to below the number of their attack edges. Using detailed evaluation of several existing social networks (YouTube, Flickr), we show SumUp's ability to handle Sybil attacks. By applying SumUp on the voting trace of Digg, a popular news voting site, we have found strong evidence of attack on many articles marked "popular" by Digg.
The Traveling Tournament Problem Description and Benchmarks

The Traveling Tournament Problem is a sports timetabling problem that abstracts two issues in creating timetables: home/away pattern feasibility and team travel. Instances of this problem seem to be very difficult even for a very small number of teams, making it an interesting challenge for combinatorial optimization techniques such as integer programming and constraint programming. We introduce the problem, describe one way of modeling it, and give some interesting classes of instances with base computational results.
No Need to Watch: How the Effects of Partisan Media Can Spread via Interpersonal Discussions

To what extent do partisan media sources shape public opinion? On its face, it would appear that the impact of partisan media is limited, given that it attracts a relatively small audience. We argue, however, that its influence may extend beyond its direct audience via a two-step communication flow. Specifically, those who watch and are impacted by partisan media outlets talk to and persuade others who did not watch. We present experimental results that demonstrate this process. We therefore show that previous studies may have significantly underestimated the effect of these outlets. We also illustrate that how the two-step communication flow works is contingent upon the precise composition of the discussion group (e.g., is it consistent of all fellow partisans or a mix of partisans?). We conclude by highlighting what our results imply about the study of media, preference formation, and partisan polarization.
The influence of fertilizer level and spore density on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of transgenic Bt 11 maize (Zea mays) in experimental microcosms

Crop plants genetically modified for the expression of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal toxins have broad appeal for reducing insect damage in agricultural systems, yet questions remain about the impact of Bt plants on symbiotic soil organisms. Here, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) colonization of transgenic maize isoline Bt 11 (expressing Cry1Ab) and its non-Bt parental line (Providence) was evaluated under different fertilizer level and spore density scenarios. In a three-way factorial design, Bt 11 and non-Bt maize were inoculated with 0, 40, or 80 spores of Glomus mosseae and treated weekly with 'No' (0 g L(-1) ), 'Low' (0.23 g L(-1) ), or 'High' (1.87 g L(-1) ) levels of a complete fertilizer and grown for 60 days in a greenhouse. While no difference in AMF colonization was detected between the Bt 11 and Providence maize cultivars in the lower spore/higher fertilizer treatments, microcosm experiments demonstrated a significant reduction in AMF colonization in Bt 11 maize roots in the 80 spore treatments when fertilizer was limited. These results confirm previous work indicating an altered relationship between this Bt 11 maize isoline and AMF and demonstrate that the magnitude of this response is strongly dependent on both nutrient supply and AMF spore inoculation level.
Plant functional constraints on foliar N:P ratios in a tropical forest landscape

Although large scale analyses of foliar N:P ratios suggest and overall pattern of P limitation in tropical forests, analyses within the biome are less indicative of a consistent pattern of nutrient limitation. High tree species diversity and soil heterogeneity are important factors driving the variability of foliar chemistry in the tropics; however, this variability could be reduced at the level of the functional characteristics of the species present at a site. In this study it is hypothesized that foliar N:P ratios would be more constrained when the species are grouped according to functional characteristics, and would reveal patterns of nutrient limitation. The study was conducted in a tropical forest landscape of the Porce region in Colombia, which consists of patches of primary and secondary forests of different ages. The functional groupings revealed consistent patterns of conservative N cycling in species present at young secondary sites, as well as conservative P cycling of the species present later in succession and in primary forests. Although the observed data have limitations in terms of capturing the overall variability for each functional group, the classification used here provided support for the proposed hypotheses. It is concluded that functional composition, rather than taxonomic composition, can potentially improve our understanding of nutrient cycling in tropical forests.
Two-dimensional nanosecond electric field mapping based on cell electropermeabilization

Nanosecond, megavolt-per-meter electric pulses cause permeabilization of cells to small molecules, programmed cell death (apoptosis) in tumor cells, and are under evaluation as a treatment for skin cancer. We use nanoelectroporation and fluorescence imaging to construct two-dimensional maps of the electric field associated with delivery of 15 ns, 10 kV pulses to monolayers of the human prostate cancer cell line PC3 from three different electrode configurations: single-needle, five-needle, and flat-cut coaxial cable. Influx of the normally impermeant fluorescent dye YO-PRO-1 serves as a sensitive indicator of membrane permeabilization. The level of fluorescence emission after pulse exposure is proportional to the applied electric field strength. Spatial electric field distributions were compared in a plane normal to the center axis and 15-20 μm from the tip of the center electrode. Measurement results agree well with models for the three electrode arrangements evaluated in this study. This live-cell method for measuring a nanosecond pulsed electric field distribution provides an operationally meaningful calibration of electrode designs for biological applications and permits visualization of the relative sensitivities of different cell types to nanoelectropulse stimulation. PACS Codes: 87.85.M-
Perceptions of Women with Infertility on Stigma and Disability

Women with fertility problems have utilized the Americans with Disabilities Act to sue to gain insurance coverage for fertility treatments and additional paid time away from work, thus requesting that the relatively invisible but stigmatizing condition (infer- tility) be acknowledged by society as a disability. This provides a seemingly paradoxical situation given the generally negative connotation of disability in our society. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were completed with women who belonged to infertility support groups to examine their experiences of infertility, stigma and the notion of constructing infertility as a disability. We took a constructivist grounded theory approach to the data by engaging in free coding of themes. Being a mother was something respondents assumed would happen naturally for them, within the realm of a normative life course. The dis- cussion of infertility as a disabling condition brought forth issues of stigma from respondents in terms of a feeling of non-normalcy and discredited social status surrounding the childless state. A primary issue that arose in discussion with respondents was resource allocation, and the potential for a label such as 'disability' to afford more generous reimbursement and workplace support for infertility treatments. There is an interesting juxtaposition between the individual problem of infertility and the social consequences of a childless state. Legal discourse reveals that simply being labeled disabled does not nec- essarily increase access to treatment if treatment is sought. Further study is needed to assess the potential social, medical and legal ramifications for all stakeholders of labeling infertility a disability.
Abstract 3927: Loss of bHLH transcription factor Id4 modulates androgen receptor activity in prostate cancer progression

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Inhibitor of differentiation 4 (Id4), a crucial developmental gene also expressed in the normal prostate, has been shown to act as a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer. Promoter hypermethylation of Id4 is observed in several advanced stage cancers including prostate cancer. The loss of Id4 expression correlates with androgen independent prostate cancer progression. Our studies suggest that Id4 plays a crucial role in mediating the transition from androgen dependent to androgen independent prostate cancer by mediating the AR axis potential and reprogramming several cellular mechanisms including migration, senescence and proliferation. Stable transfection of a full length Id4 plasmid into the androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line DU145 resulted in re-expression of AR and downstream AR response gene PSA. Id4 transfected cells also observed an androgen regulated rate of proliferation in responsive to treatment with AR antagonist, Casodex. AR antagonism also significantly reduced the rate of migration as observed by a scratch wound assay. Under closer observation, AR antagonist treatment with Casodex also inhibited translocation of AR to the nucleus of DU145 cells as observed by immunofluorescence. Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that DU145+Id4 transfected cells undergo a significant level of senescence (∼ 32%) compared to normal DU145 cells (∼ 4%). Treatment of DU145+Id4 cells with the AR antagonist Casodex demonstrate that the rate of senescence in DU145+Id4 transfected cells is closely related to inhibition of AR activity. Our results suggest that Id4 may play a crucial role in the loss of AR activity in advanced stage prostate cancer progression. These results also suggest that the antagonism of AR nuclear translocation post Id4 induction closely regulates the rate of proliferation and the induction of a senescent phenotype. These results provide a significant correlation between Id4 expression and AR activity during prostate cancer progression. Loss of AR activity through Id4 promoter hypermethylation may play a crucial role in understanding castration resistant prostate cancer. Therefore, induction of Id4 may provide a novel therapeutic target for advanced stage prostate cancer treatment. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3927. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3927
Interpreting Middle School Students' Proportional Reasoning Strategies: Observations From Preservice Teachers

This paper reports the findings of an investigation of 11 preservice secondary school teachers' interpretations of the development of proportional reasoning strategies used by middle school students. The preservice teachers examined samples of solution strategies generated by middle school students in proportional reasoning situations and prepared written responses of their views concerning the developmental levels indicated in the students' work. Each preservice teacher also participated in an hour-long interview, in which the researchers asked for elaboration and clarification of the written responses and, in some cases, challenged the preservice teachers to consider alternative interpretations for the middle school students' work. The interviews were audiotaped for later analysis by the investigators, and key aspects of both the written and audiotaped responses were entered into a spreadsheet and later tabulated into categories indicating trends in the preservice teachers' interpretations. Some implications for the preparation of preservice middle school science and mathematics teachers are included.
Influence of electrolytic plasma process on corrosion property of peened 304 austenitic stainless steel

An electrolytic plasma process (EPP) was applied onto shot peened surface of 304 stainless steel (SS) and the corrosion behavior were studied with different treatment parameters. The peening process on 304 SS was performed by a ball milling machine. Although the peening process may improve the material strength, due to the refinement of γ phase and γ → martensite (α') transformation, the low corrosion resistance of martensite limits the application of the resultant material. In this paper, EPP was applied onto the peened surfaces for a rapid surface annealing. After EPP, the deformation-induced martensite was partially reverted back to austenite phase. X-ray diffraction, hardness, and SEM study were employed to manifest the major transformations. Optimal EPP treatment could achieve both high strength and corrosion resistance on steel surfaces.
Obesity and primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation: the Lung Transplant Outcomes Group Obesity Study.

Rationale: Obesity has been linked to acute lung injury and is a risk factor for early mortality after lung transplantation.Objectives: To examine the associations of obesity and plasma adipokines with the risk of primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation.Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of 512 adult lung transplant recipients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or interstitial lung disease enrolled in the Lung Transplant Outcomes Group Study. In a nested case-control study, we measured plasma leptin, adiponectin, and resistin before lung transplantation and 6 and 24 hours after lung transplantation in 40 cases of primary graft dysfunction and 80 control subjects. Generalized linear mixed models and logistic regression were used to estimate risk ratios and odds ratios.Measurements and Main Results: Grade 3 primary graft dysfunction developed within 72 hours of transplantation in 29% participants. Obesity was associated with a twofold increased risk of primary graft dysfun...
A Neutral-Point Expansion of the Ideal Magnetosphere

The idealized model of the geomagnetic field-solar wind interaction yields a singular (neutral) point on the magnetopause at which the magnetic field vanishes. If we expand the fields in a power series around this point, including quadratic terms, we can derive an approximate equation of the magnetopause in a small neighborhood of the neutral point which is consistent with the idealized boundary conditions to fourth order. We then consider the additional pressure due to multiple reflections of particles in this neighborhood and show that less than a 4 per cent correction to the single-reflection pressure condition is necessary.
Partial chemical/structural elucidation of anti-mutagenic compounds from corn.

Abstract In this study, corn fractions obtained from an isolation process of anti-mutagenic factors in our previous research work ( Burgos-Hernandez et al., 2001 ), were subjected to several analyses for chemical/structural elucidation. The anti-mutagenic activity of these fractions was tested against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), a mutagen that does not require bioactivation. Two concentrations of this agent in the corn fractions were tested for anti-mutagenicity in the Salmonella/microsomal mutagenicity assay, using tester strain TA100 with no metabolic activation. Corn fractions tested showed evidence of anti-mutagenic activity by producing a dose–response type of relationship between a constant amount of MNNG and several concentrations of tested corn fraction. Five different varieties of yellow corn were tested in order to determine if the anti-mutagenic factors were intrinsic to corn. Variety of the corn did not show an effect on the reduction of the mutagenic potential of AFB1 suggesting that anti-mutagenic compounds are intrinsic to corn. Four corn fractions, previously obtained after the isolation process were analyzed by MALDI-MS and GC-MS. MALDI-MS showed the presence of two groups of molecules or molecular fragments. The molecular mass of one group ranged from 250 to 370 m/z, the other ranged from 540 to 640 m/z. GC-MS identified linoleic acid as one of the compounds responsible for the anti-mutagenic activity present in corn.
Superficial venous thrombosis: cause for concern

In this issue of Blood , Leizorovicz et al show that progression of superficial venous thrombosis of the lower extremity is associated with a significant risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism regardless of proximity to the saphenofemoral venous junction.[1][1] Our approach to the
Effect of seed preparation on efficiency and oil quality in filtration extraction of rapeseed

The application of filtration extraction to rapeseed is discussed with particular emphasis on the effect of seed preparation on the hydrogenation characteristics of the oil. It was found that cooking the crushed seed without the addition of water, and at temperatures not exceeding 220F, produced a satisfactory oil. Under these conditions extraction efficiency was good and the resulting meal showed no harmful effects in feeding trials with mice.
Chronic cyclosporine nephrotoxicity

Cyclosporine has improved patient and graft survival rates in solid organ transplantation, and has been increasingly applied with considerable clinical benefit in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. However, the therapeutic benefits of immunosuppressive therapy for transplant and autoimmune indications have frequently been limited by the occurrence of chronic nephrotoxicity. Cyclosporine nephrotoxicity therefore remains an important clinical challenge. The clinical aspects and pathophysiology of chronic cyclosporine nephrotoxicity, which is characterized by a decrease in glomerular filtration rate, afferent arteriolopathy, and striped tubulointerstitial fibrosis, are reviewed. Insights gained from experimental models of chronic nephrotoxicity associated with tubulointerstitial fibrosis are presented to elucidate the pathophysiology.
Classical-quantum correspondence in electron-positron pair creation

We examine the creation of electron-positron pairs in a very strong force field. Using numerical solutions to quantum field theory we calculate the spatial and momentum probability distributions for the created particles. A comparison with classical mechanical phase space calculations suggests that despite the fully relativistic and quantum mechanical nature of the matter creation process, most aspects can be reproduced accurately in terms of classical mechanics.
Catalytic conversion of alcohols to alkenes by OH

Abstract Kinetic and mechanistic studies of the gas-phase reactions between hydroxyl radicals and Cn alcohols (n⩾2) are described. Hydrogen-atom abstraction by OH from β-sites in alcohols produces HO-alkene intermediates that rapidly dissociate to OH + alkene at elevated temperatures. This reactive sequence consitutes a catalytic mechanism for the net transformation CnH2n+1OH→ H2O + CnH2n. The fraction of OH-alcohol reactivity that proceeds through this catalytic channel depends on the detailed molecular structure of the alcohol.