cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recognition and Interpretation of Cemented Subsurface Horizons in Sandy Paleosols of Cretaceous-Paleogene Age, Eastern Montana

Abstract Cemented paleosols of the Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation were examined in an attempt to discern origin of cementing agents. Six 3-m columnar sections were selected for detailed study. The soils were formed in interbedded sand and mud fluvial sediments and typically exhibit only weak signatures of pedogenesis. Furthermore, the sediments have been subject to low-temperature diagenesis that in some instances blurs the distinction between pedogenic and post-pedogenic features. In the sandstones, which are all interpreted as subsoil horizons, pedogenic features include oriented coatings of fine material and iron oxide coatings and hypo-coatings in intimate association with organic matter. In some horizons it appears that post-pedogenic phyllosilicates have replaced pedogenic coatings. Replaced grains and dense infillings of non-pedogenic voids by iron oxides were also identified. Calcite is evident in at least trace amounts in all sandy subsoils and is conspicuously abundant in medium textured horizons. However, the paleoenvironmental significance of calcite is difficult to assess because its abundance in any other context than as a framework constituent must be regarded at least in part as the result of repeated episodes of precipitation during diagenesis.
The role of aggregate information in a binary threshold game

We analyze the problem of coordination failure in the presence of imperfect information in the context of a binary-action sequential game with a tipping point. An information structure summarizes what each agent can observe before making her decision. Focusing on information structures where only “aggregate information” from past history can be observed, we characterize information structures that can lead to various (efficient and inefficient) Nash equilibria. When individual decision making can be rationalized using a process of iterative dominance (Moulin, Econometrica 47:1337–1351, 1979), we derive a necessary and sufficient condition on information structures under which a unique and efficient dominance solvable equilibrium outcome is obtained. Our results suggest that if sufficient (and not necessarily perfect) information is available, coordination failure can be overcome without centralized intervention.
Ossicular Chain Reconstruction in a Developing Country.

OBJECTIVES In Ethiopia, 2-stage operations with middle ear prostheses are economically unfavorable. We hypothesized that single-stage autologous ossiculoplasty results in acceptable tympanic membrane (TM) and hearing improvements in a setting of limited resources. METHODS One hundred eighty-eight patients (197 ears) who underwent 1-stage autologous ossiculoplasty for ossicular dysfunction are presented. All but 14 of these ears also had perforations of the TM. Conditions of the middle ear were granulation tissue, ossicular disruption only, tympanosclerosis, and cholesteatoma. Reconstructions of the ossicular chain were performed with autologous ossicles only. RESULTS The closure rate of TM perforations was 95%. Preoperative air bone gaps were 27 to 60 dB (mean [SD] = 44 [7] dB); postoperative air bone gaps were 0 to 50 dB (average [SD] = 23 [10] dB), for an average improvement of 21 dB across all reconstruction types ( P < .001). The largest favorable changes in air bone gaps were with incus and malleus columellas from the footplate to the TM (33 and 23 dB, respectively) ( P < .001). No patient had worsening of sensorineural hearing levels or extrusion of the reconstructed ossicles. CONCLUSION Autologous ossiculoplasty performed well in this setting. Acceptable TM closure rates and improvement of air bone gaps were seen in 1-stage operations without the use of prostheses.
Effect of growth temperature on photosynthetic capacity and respiration in three ecotypes of Eriophorum vaginatum.

Ecotypic differentiation in the tussock-forming sedge Eriophorum vaginatum has led to the development of populations that are locally adapted to climate in Alaska's moist tussock tundra. As a foundation species, E. vaginatum plays a central role in providing topographic and microclimatic variation essential to these ecosystems, but a changing climate could diminish the importance of this species. As Arctic temperatures have increased, there is evidence of adaptational lag in E. vaginatum, as locally adapted ecotypes now exhibit reduced population growth rates. Whether there is a physiological underpinning to adaptational lag is unknown. Accordingly, this possibility was investigated in reciprocal transplant gardens. Tussocks of E. vaginatum from sites separated by ~1° latitude (Coldfoot: 67°15'N, Toolik Lake: 68°37', Sagwon: 69°25') were transplanted into the Toolik Lake and Sagwon sites and exposed to either an ambient or an experimental warming treatment. Five tussocks pertreatment combination were measured at each garden to determine photosynthetic capacity (i.e., Vcmax and Jmax) and dark respiration rate (Rd) at measurement temperatures of 15, 20, and 25°C. Photosynthetic enhancements or homeostasis were observed for all ecotypes at both gardens under increased growth temperature, indicating no negative effect of elevated temperature on photosynthetic capacity. Further, no evidence of thermal acclimation in Rd was observed for any ecotype, and there was little evidence of ecotypic variation in Rd. As such, no physiological contribution to adaptational lag was observed given the increase in growth temperature (up to ~2°C) provided by this study. Despite neutral to positive effects of increased growth temperature on photosynthesis in E. vaginatum, it appears to confer no lasting advantage to the species.
Receptive and Expressive Language Disorders

It has been suggested that delay or difficulty in acquiring language milestones in early childhood may be the most reliable indication of developmental disorders of all kinds. These deficits may provide more reliable predictors than motor delays, visuoperceptual or attentional deficits, or any other signs of high-risk status. Why should delay in language acquisition be of greater significance than any other developmental delays? It may be that language acquisition is one of the most complex of all developmental processes. Acquisition of both receptive and expressive language may depend on the integrity of many different mechanisms and also on the establishment of smooth interactions among these mechanisms. Thus, if any one is impaired or if they are not properly integrated, language delay may result and may provide the first indication of disorder.
Structural Dynamics of the Signal Termination Process in Rhodopsin

This review will provide and overview of what is known, and what is not known, about the visual signal termination process in mammalian vision. The focus will be on the role of structure and dynamic changes in the primary mammalian photo-transducer rhodopsin, and the protein that attenuates rhodopsin signaling, arrestin. Although this review focuses on mammalian photoreceptor proteins, analogous mechanisms may be used in the phototransduction pathways of other organisms.
Putting the Micro back in microservice

Modern cloud computing environments strive to provide users with fine-grained scheduling and accounting, as well as seamless scalability. The most recent face to this trend is the "serverless" model, in which individual functions, or microservices, are executed on demand. Popular implementations of this model, however, operate at a relatively coarse granularity, occupying resources for minutes at a time and requiring hundreds of milliseconds for a cold launch. In this paper, we describe a novel design for providing "functions as a service" (FaaS) that attempts to be truly micro: cold launch times in microseconds that enable even finer-grained resource accounting and support latency-critical applications. Our proposal is to eschew much of the traditional serverless infrastructure in favor of language-based isolation. The result is microsecond-granularity launch latency, and microsecond-scale preemptive scheduling using high-precision timers.
Neural crest contributions to the ear: Implications for congenital hearing disorders.

Abstract Congenital hearing disorders affect millions of children worldwide and can significantly impact acquisition of speech and language. Efforts to identify the developmental genetic etiologies of conductive and sensorineural hearing losses have revealed critical roles for cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) in ear development. Cranial NCCs contribute to all portions of the ear, and defects in neural crest development can lead to neurocristopathies associated with profound hearing loss. The molecular mechanisms governing the development of neural crest derivatives within the ear are partially understood, but many questions remain. In this review, we describe recent advancements in determining neural crest contributions to the ear, how they inform our understanding of neurocristopathies, and highlight new avenues for further research using bioinformatic approaches.
Systemic inflammation during midlife and cognitive change over 20 years: The ARIC Study

Objective To examine the association between systemic inflammation measured during midlife and 20-year cognitive decline. Methods Within the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort study, inflammatory biomarkers were measured during middle adulthood. We created an inflammation composite score using 4 blood biomarkers measured at visit 1 (fibrinogen, white blood cell count, von Willebrand factor, and factor VIII); we measured C-reactive protein (CRP) at visit 2. Cognition was assessed over 3 visits spanning 20 years using measures of memory, executive function, and language. Results A total of 12,336 participants (baseline age 56.8 [5.7], 21% black, 56% women) were included. After adjusting for demographic variables, vascular risk factors, and comorbidities, each standard deviation (SD) increase in midlife inflammation composite score was associated with an additional 20-year decline of −0.035 SD (95% confidence interval: −0.062 to −0.007) on the cognitive composite score. We found a similar association between each SD increase in midlife CRP level and additional 20-year cognitive decline (−0.038 SD, 95% confidence interval: −0.057 to −0.019). Participants with a midlife inflammation composite score in the top quartile had a 7.8% steeper cognitive decline, compared to participants in the lowest quartile; CRP in the top quartile was associated with an 11.6% steeper cognitive decline. In cognitive domain-specific analyses, elevated midlife inflammatory markers were most consistently associated with declines in memory. Results were similar after adjusting for attrition using inverse probability weighting. Conclusions Our findings highlight what may be an early pathogenic role for systemic inflammation as a driver of cognitive decline in the decades leading up to older adulthood.
Flight-fecundity tradeoffs in wing-monomorphic insects

Abstract Winged insects often spend considerable amounts of energy in flight, searching for food, escaping predators, and dispersing. In females, flight is hypothesized to reduce resources available for egg production, thus leading to a tradeoff between flight and fecundity. Yet, the generality of a flight-fecundity tradeoff in insects may have been overestimated, given that empirical validation of such a tradeoff has largely relied on studies in wing-polymorphic insects. In this review, we evaluate evidence of a flight-fecundity tradeoff in wing-monomorphic insects by conducting a systematic literature search. We compiled information from studies on migratory and non-migratory insects, testing for an association between flight and fecundity and using a number of different methods—phenotypic and genotypic correlations, manipulation of resource availability, and manipulation of either flight or fecundity. Although most studies indicated a negative association between flight and fecundity in wing-monomorphic insects, evidence for a tradeoff between the two traits was less prevalent. In several contexts, there were species that showed none or a positive association between both traits. Importantly, flight and fecundity in wing-monomorphic insects was related in a number of ways: via physiological constraints—resource-based tradeoffs—as well as via biomechanical constraints—when egg loads affected take-off performance—, due to adaptive negative correlations—when switching from flight to egg production if appropriate conditions to reproduce were encountered—and, due to adaptive positive correlations—when optimal flight and high fecundity were favoured for colonizing new habitats.
Rejecting the New Statistical Solution to the Generality Problem

The generality problem is one of the most pressing challenges for process reliabilism about justification. Thus far, one of the more promising responses is James Beebe's tri-level statistical solution. Despite the initial plausibility of Beebe's approach, the tri-level statistical solution has been shown to generate implausible justification verdicts on a variety of cases. Recently, Samuel Kampa has offered a new statistical solution to the generality problem, which he argues can overcome the challenges that undermined Beebe's original statistical solution. However, there's good reason to believe that Kampa is mistaken. In this paper, I show that Kampa's new statistical solution faces problems that are no less serious than the original objections to Beebe's solution. Depending on how we interpret Kampa's proposal, the new statistical solution either types belief-forming processes far too narrowly, or the new statistical solution fails to clarify the epistemic implications of reliabilism altogether. Either way, the new statistical solution fails to make substantive progress towards solving the generality problem.
Generalized shared decision making approaches and patient problems. Adapting AHRQ's SHARE Approach for Purposeful SDM.

Abstract Objective Generalized shared decision making (SDM) describes the involvement of patients in choosing options. However, there are many situations in which patients and clinicians make decisions together that don’t focus on choosing between options, e.g. problem-solving dialysis and insulin use while traveling. Poor uptake associated with clinicians’ perception that SDM doesn’t apply to clinical situations they face may reflect the lack of adaptation of generalized SDM approaches to patients’ problems. The Purposeful SDM schema published in 2019 identifies problems for which different kinds of SDM are appropriate. Methods The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality developed SHARE as a generalized SDM approach. We sought to adapt SHARE to the different problems that patients face using a matrix to relate SHARE steps and Purposeful SDM modes and describe changes in generalized concepts and practices of SDM across these modes. Results Many SHARE communicative behaviors applied across modes, although the meaning of SDM terms and practices, e.g. patients involved as problem solvers versus experts, varied substantially. Conclusion Aspects of SHARE require adaptation to different patient problems. Practice implications SDM in education, practice, and tools may be supported by adapting generalized SDM approaches to patients’ problems.
Lattice Misfit Predictions via the Gaussian Process Regression for Ni-Based Single Crystal Superalloys

Ni-based single crystal superalloys exhibit superb mechanical strength, particularly, creep resistance at elevated temperature. The unique microstructure, which is consisted of $$\gamma$$ and $$\gamma ^{\prime }$$ phases, is a major factor that determines the mechanical behavior of these alloys. The lattice misfit between the two phases is of particular interest in understanding and predicting the deformation mechanism. The measurement of the lattice misfit by advanced analytical instruments is costly and difficult. In current study, we develop the Gaussian process regression model to predict lattice misfits for Ni-based single crystal superalloys based on chemical composition, temperature, and two morphological indicators. The model is highly stable and accurate and promising as a fast, robust, and low-cost tool for lattice misfit estimations.
Proteosomal degradation impairs transcytosis of AAV vectors from suprachoroidal space to retina

Suprachoroidal injection provides a new route of delivery for AAV vectors to retinal pigmented epithelial cells and photoreceptors that can be done in an outpatient setting and is less invasive and potentially safer than subretinal injection, the most common route of delivery for ocular gene therapy. After suprachoroidal injection of AAV8 or AAV9 vectors, there is strong transduction of photoreceptors, but it is unclear how vector traverses the retinal pigmented epithelium. In this study, we found that transduction of photoreceptors was significantly increased after suprachoroidal injection of AAV2tYF-CBA-GFP versus AAV2-CBA-GFP vector. Compared with AAV2, AAV2tYF is more resistant to proteosomal degradation. Treatment with protease inhibitors significantly increased photoreceptor transduction after suprachoroidal injection of AAV5-GRK1-GFP. These data suggest that after suprachoroidal injection, AAV vectors access photoreceptors by transcytosis through retinal pigmented epithelial cells during which they are subject to proteosomal degradation, which if suppressed can enhance transduction of photoreceptors.
Comparison of Postural Control Among College Students With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder

Impairments in postural stability are present in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but documentation of impairments as individuals age into adulthood are sparse and have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess postural control of college students with and without ASD during four conditions: eyes open and eyes closed, for both single- and double-leg stances. Twenty participants (10 with ASD and 10 without ASD) between the ages of 18 and 30 performed three quiet standing trials in each of the four conditions. Antero-posterior (A-P) and medio-lateral (M-L) sway and sway velocity, as well as sway area and stance time, were calculated for each condition and compared between groups. In the double-leg eyes open and eyes closed conditions, A-P displacement and sway area were greater in individuals with ASD. There were no differences in sway between groups in the single-leg eyes open condition. Individuals with ASD demonstrated much shorter stance times than individuals without ASD in the single-leg eyes closed condition. Young adults with ASD display less postural stability in both simple and complex balance tasks than young adults without ASD. It appears that the balance abnormalities reported in children with ASD persist into adulthood.
Some Economic, Spatial, Social and Political Indicators of Environmental Quality of Urban Life

In a nation which is turning increasingly urban, the quality of the urban environment constitutes a major test of the level of its well-being as a society. The 243 metropolitan areas of the United States now comprise 69 percent of the nation’s population and are more than ever the center of its economic and cultural life. Al — though planners and social scientists have long questioned the low priority given to enhancing the urban environment, growing segments of the public share their concern, recognizing glaring deficiencies in their surroundings. The national discussion about priorities in government expenditures is clearly tied to this realization and seeks to redirect government effort toward such pressing areas of domestic need as the improvement of urban development and housing, the health of the people, crime prevention, recreation and education, and environmental pollution, among others.
Production of protease isozymes by Aphanomyces cochlioides and Aphanomyces euteiches

The production of protease activity by the sugarbeet pathogen Aphanomyces cochlioides, the legume pathogen A. euteiches, and the fish pathogen Saprolegnia parasitica was examined. Protease activity was readily detected in supernatants of water cultures of each organism using autoclaved host tissue as a nutrient source. Most of the protease isozymes extracted from sugarbeet and pea seedlings infected with A. cochlioides and A. euteiches, respectively, co-migrated with enzymes produced by the pathogens in culture. In inoculated sugarbeet seedlings, the protease activities were detected prior to or concommitent with the onset of disease symptoms and the activities were capable of digesting protein extracted from sugarbeet hypocotyls. Use of class-specific inhibitors indicated that a portion of the protease activity was of the trypsin-class. Trypsin-like isozymes that possessed a relatively fast electrophoretic migration were detected in the A. cochlioides, A. euteiches, and S. parasitica protease complements, whereas the remaining isozymes were not affected by any of the inhibitors tested. Proteinaceous trypsin inhibitors from the legumes lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) and soybean (Glycine max) inhibited the trypsin-like isozymes from A. cochlioides, but not A. euteiches, whereas low molecular weight, synthetic trypsin inhibitors inhibited these isozymes from both pathogen sources. The potential role of protease inhibition in determining host range in phytopathogenic Aphanomyces species is discussed.
Managerial Decisions, Asset Liquidity, and Stock Liquidity

We predict a positive relationship between the liquidity of the firm's assets and the liquidity of its stock. This relationship depends on market expectations regarding the deployment of the firm's liquid assets. Thus our hypothesis links stock liquidity to managerial actions that change the liquidity of the firm's assets, such as investment, financing, and payout. Consistent with our prediction, we find that after controlling for firm fixed effects, a one standard deviation increase in asset liquidity increases stock liquidity by 14.5%. The relation is stronger when the manager is less likely to convert liquid assets into illiquid assets such as for low market to book and low capital expenditure firms, during economic recessions, and when expected payout is high. Apart from linking corporate finance decisions to stock liquidity, the analysis also promotes a new rationale for several empirical regularities such as the commonality in stock liquidity, and the improvement in stock liquidity following equity issuances.
Hepatitis B Viral DNA Molecules Have Cohesive Ends

Hepatitis B virus DNA made fully double stranded by a virion DNA polymerase reaction could be converted from circular to linear molecules by heating in 10 mM NaCl at 77 degrees C or in 100 mM NaCl at 90 degrees C for 15 min. Heat-generated linear hepatitis B virus DNA was reannealed to circular molecules by incubating in higher salt concentrations. The identity of the molecular forms was established by their electrophoretic mobility and appearance in electron micrographs. Recircularization was blocked by reacting linear molecules with nuclease S1 or avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase. These results suggest that the heated linear DNA had single-stranded ends with complementary nucleotide sequences. It also suggests that a discontinuity or nick is present in each strand of the circular DNA molecule after the single-stranded region is made double stranded by the virion DNA polymerase reaction. The difference in contour length by electron microscopy of circular and linear molecules spread under aqueous conditions suggested that the discontinuities in the two strands were about 270 base pairs apart. The amount of nucleotide incorporated into the ends of heat-generated linear hepatitis B virus DNA by reverse transcriptase suggested that the single-stranded ends were about 305 bases in length. This fully double-stranded linear DNA was cleaved with EcoRI or HpaI restriction endonuclease. The sum of the two fragments generated by each totaled 3,510 base pairs, 310 base pairs greater than the contour length of circular hepatitis B virus DNA which represents a third estimate of the distance between the discontinuities in the two DNA strands of circular DNA. Restriction endonuclease cleavage also indicated that the ends of heated linear DNA which correspond to the discontinuities in the two strands of the circular DNA are at unique sites in the DNA with respect to the restriction sites.
Blame Welfare, Ignore Poverty and Inequality: The Response to Poverty and Inequality: The Welfare State

Introduction This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part provides an overview of the U.S. welfare state. In view of the nature and extent of poverty as discussed in Chapter 2, what has been the response? How has the U.S. welfare state addressed these problems? Who receives assistance and in what form? How secure is the safety net? As discussed, with very few exceptions, the basic approach of U.S. antipoverty policy is to focus on individual behavior rather than the structural conditions that cause poverty. Individual behavior, in turn, is primarily an issue of the work ethic. The work ethic has both objective (e.g., earnings) and moral components. Those who earn a living in the paid labor market fulfill social expectations – they “play by the rules.” Those who fail to earn a living through paid work and become needy are morally suspect. Why are they not working and supporting themselves and their families? The distinction is cast in terms of the “deserving” and the “undeserving.” In general, the deserving are those who have worked in the paid labor market and are now excused from the paid labor market. The clearest example is the retired elderly who have worked a sufficient period of time in covered employment and made their contributions to Social Security. Today, most regular (“on the books”) paid employment is covered by Social Security. Cash assistance does not threaten the work ethic. Widows, widowers, and their children are included. Social Security is called a “pension.”
Teaching Crisis Intervention

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to explore ways of aiding students in their learning how to become effective crisis intervention specialists by helping them understand their responses to crisis, and through the development of their professional use of self. New police cadets and human service workers alike bring with them the beliefs and emotions learned from personal histories that may hinder or help their ability to become effective crisis workers. The article helps those who teach crisis intervention to engage students in various experiential exercises that maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
Probing uranyl(VI) speciation in the presence of amidoxime ligands using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

RATIONALE Extraction processes using poly(acrylamidoxime) resins are being developed to extract uranium from seawater. The main complexing agents in these resins are thought to be 2,6-dihydroxyiminopiperidine (DHIP) and N1,N5-dihydroxypentanediimidamide (DHPD), which form strong complexes with uranyl(VI) at the pH of seawater. It is important to understand uranyl(VI) speciation in the presence of these and similar amidoxime ligands to understand factors affecting uranyl(VI) adsorption to the poly(acrylamidoxime) resins. METHODS Experiments were carried out in positive ion mode on a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source. The ligands investigated were DHIP, DHPD, and N1,N2-dihydroxyethanediimidamide (DHED). DHED and DHPD differ only in the number of carbons separating the oxime groups. The effects on the mass spectra of changes in uranyl(VI):ligand ratio, pH, and ligand type were examined. RESULTS DHIP binds uranyl(VI) more effectively than DHPD or DHED in the pH range investigated, forming ions derived from solution-phase species with uranyl(VI):DHIP stoichiometries of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:3. The 2:3 uranyl(VI):DHIP complex appears to be a previously undescribed solution species. Ions related to uranyl(VI):DHPD complexes were detected in very low abundance. DHED is a more effective complexing agent for uranyl(VI) than DHPD, forming ions having uranyl(VI):DHED stoichiometries of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 2:3. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a first look at the solution chemistry of uranyl(VI)–amidoxime complexes using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The appearance of previously undescribed solution species suggests that the uranyl–amidoxime system is a rich and relatively complex one, requiring a more in-depth investigation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asynchronous distributed approach for DC Optimal Power Flow

The recent trend towards accommodating more distributed resources in power systems motivates a transition from the current highly centralized control structure to a more distributed control structure. In this paper, we propose an asynchronous iterative distributed solution approach for the DC Optimal Power Flow problem. This approach constitutes an iterative procedure that solves first order optimality conditions of the Optimal Power Flow problem in a distributed manner. In this distributed algorithm, each bus is responsible for updating a few local variables, and network coordination is achieved through local information exchanges between neighboring buses. Since information exchange at each variable update iteration might be prohibitive for an actual implementation, we propose an asynchronous iterative procedure. The asynchronous implementation divides the buses into areas, and requires the buses in the same area to exchange information after each iteration, while communication between the areas occurs only after multiple iterations. We further suggest that sharing additional information appropriately between areas without physical connections across the system can speed up the convergence of the algorithm. A proof of concept is provided using the IEEE RTS and IEEE 118-bus test systems.
Study on the Sub-Threshold Margin Characteristics of the Extremely Scaled 3-D DRAM Cell Transistors

This paper proposes an equivalent circuit model of 3-D DRAM cell transistors with recess gate and saddle fin structure for the first time. The model effectively characterize the sub-threshold and off margin behavior of the scaled DRAM cell transistor by considering the parasitic sub-channel and vertical transistor components into account. TCAD simulation and experimental data have confirmed the accuracy of the model. With the analysis made, we suggest a set of improvement method for the off margin characteristics engineering. These methods are believed to lead the continuous DRAM scaling, down to sub-10nm technology node.
An Effect of Puromycin on the Synthesis of Collagen by Embryonic Cartilage in Vitro

Abstract Large concentrations of puromycin inhibited the synthesis of peptide-bound hydroxyproline by embryonic cartilage to a greater extent than they inhibited the synthesis of polypeptides. Investigation of this effect provided further evidence for the suggestion that hydroxyproline is synthesized by the hydroxylation of proline after proline is incorporated into a proline-rich polypeptide precursor of collagen. Gel filtration of the soluble polypeptides which were obtained from samples inhibited with puromycin suggested that polypeptides with molecular weights greater than 10,000 must be synthesized before the hydroxylation can occur.
A targeted-replacement system for identification of signals for de novo methylation in Neurospora crassa.

Abstract Transformation of eukaryotic cells can be used to test potential signals for DNA methylation. This approach is not always reliable, however, because of chromosomal position effects and because integration of multiple and/or rearranged copies of transforming DNA can influence DNA methylation. We developed a robust system to evaluate the potential of DNA fragments to function as signals for de novo methylation in Neurospora crassa. The requirements of the system were (i) a location in the N. crassa genome that becomes methylated only in the presence of a bona fide methylation signal and (ii) an efficient gene replacement protocol. We report here that the am locus fulfills these requirements, and we demonstrate its utility with the identification of a 2.7-kb fragment from the psi 63 locus as a new portable signal for de novo methylation.
Evaluation of resveratrol and N-acetylcysteine for cancer chemoprevention in a Fanconi anemia murine model.

Fanconi anemia (FA) patients suffer from progressive bone marrow failure and often develop cancers. Previous studies showed that antioxidants tempol and resveratrol (RV) delayed tumor onset and reduced hematologic defects in FA murine models, respectively. Here we tested whether antioxidants N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or RV could delay cancer in tumor prone Fancd2−/−/Trp53+/− mice. Unlike tempol, neither compound had any significant chemopreventive effect in this model. We conclude that not all anti-oxidants are chemopreventive in FA. In addition, when given to Fancd2−/− mice, NAC helped maintain Fancd2−/− KSL cells in quiescence while tempol did not. The mechanisms behind the different actions of these antioxidants await further investigation. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:740–742. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reinterpreting Architectural Education: Exploring Methods for Incorporating Sustainability Themes

This paper explores prospective means of incorporating sustainability and green building themes into formal architectural education. By unpacking and understanding the most common and perceived successful methods of including these themes in curriculum, suggestions can be made to steer and capitalize on the effective integration of sustainability and green building topics within the framework of architectural education. Grounded theory methodology focuses on the generation or discovery of a theory to develop a framework for further research in a field where no strong, generally accepted theories exist (Strauss and Corbin 1998; Creswell 2007). The topic of integrating sustainability into formal architectural education is a prime candidate for this type of exploration, as it is a field of great interest, but without a substantial theory. Referencing constructivist grounded theory, this study was framed in how individual faculty members and their groups of peers interact to create their perceived social constructs, thereby establishing a reality of their own processes and the familiarity of colleagues' processes. Through purposeful sampling, a list of potential participants included eighteen faculty members from different architecture programs around North America. Twelve were interviewed before theoretical saturation was reached. The datasets were analyzed through an iterative coding process, and resulted in themed categories and clustered data addressing the primary topic of interest and other sub-research questions. Core categories of Student Engagement and Repositioning the Worldview emerge from exploring relationships within the gathered data. It is perceived by study participants that the most promising opportunities for leverage in this arena include establishing frameworks for student reference, defining levels of context for projects, addressing differences in sustainability terms, engaging studio courses, and integrating themes across support courses.
Oxyradicals and DNA damage

A major development of carcinogenesis research in the past 20 years has been the discovery of significant levels of DNA damage arising from endogenous cellular sources. Dramatic improvements in analytical chemistry have provided sensitive and specific methodology for identification and quantitation of DNA adducts. Application of these techniques to the analysis of nuclear DNA from human tissues has debunked the notion that the human genome is pristine in the absence of exposure to environmental carcinogens. Much endogenous DNA damage arises from intermediates of oxygen reduction that either attack the bases or the deoxyribosyl backbone of DNA. Alternatively, oxygen radicals can attack other cellular components such as lipids to generate reactive intermediates that couple to DNA bases. Endogenous DNA lesions are genotoxic and induce mutations that are commonly observed in mutated oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Their mutagenicity is mitigated by repair via base excision and nucleotide excision pathways. The levels of oxidative DNA damage reported in many human tissues or in animal models of carcinogenesis exceed the levels of lesions induced by exposure to exogenous carcinogenic compounds. Thus, it seems likely that oxidative DNA damage is important in the etiology of many human cancers. This review highlights some of the major accomplishments in the study of oxidative DNA damage and its role in carcinogenesis. It also identifies controversies that need to be resolved. Unraveling the contributions to tumorigenesis of DNA damage from endogenous and exogenous sources represents a major challenge for the future.
Characteristics and Perceptions of Users and Nonusers of an Urban Fishery Program in Lubbock, Texas

Abstract An urban fishery program was initiated in 1987 to enhance recreational fishing opportunities in 19 lakes in Lubbock, Texas. A telephone survey of 804 residences was conducted during June–December 1988 to measure people's awareness of the program and obtain information that could be used to further develop urban fishing opportunities. Less than half of the respondents were aware of the program, 53% did not fish, 26% fished in Lubbock's lakes one or more times in the past year (urban anglers), and 21% fished only outside Lubbock (rural anglers). Urban anglers fished more frequently than rural anglers. Urban and rural anglers preferred to catch larger fish rather than more fish, preferred cleaner water rather than a cleaner park, fished primarily for recreation rather than for food, and had similar preferences for types of fish to catch. Given a choice of better fish to catch or a better place to fish, more urban anglers preferred better fish to catch and more rural anglers preferred a better place ...
Inhibition of bacterial DNA replication by zinc mobilization during nitrosative stress.

Abstract Phagocytic cells inhibit the growth of intracellular pathogens by producing nitric oxide (NO). NO causes cell filamentation, induction of the SOS response, and DNA replication arrest in the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica. NO also induces double-stranded chromosomal breaks in replication-arrested Salmonella lacking a functional RecBCD exonuclease. This DNA damage depends on actions of additional DNA repair proteins, the RecG helicase, and RuvC endonuclease. Introduction of a recG mutation restores both resistance to NO and the ability of an attenuated recBC mutant Salmonella strain to cause lethal infection in mice, demonstrating that bacterial DNA replication is inhibited during host–pathogen interactions. Inhibition of DNA replication during nitrosative stress is invariably accompanied by zinc mobilization, implicating DNA-binding zinc metalloproteins as critical targets of NO-related antimicrobial activity.
Dopaminergic dorsal raphe neurons in cats and monkeys are sensitive to the toxic effects of MPTP

Tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemical analysis of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of severely parkinsonian MPTP-treated cats and cynomolgus monkeys revealed a marked loss of catecholaminergic neurons in this region. Cell loss was more extensive in the ventral portion of the nucleus with a relative sparing of neurons in the dorsal-most portions of the DRN. These results demonstrate that catecholaminergic neurons other than those in the ventral mesencephalon and the locus ceruleus are affected by the toxic effects of MPTP.
IMPACT OF MODERATE-SEVERE MITRAL REGURGITATION ON OUTCOMES AFTER TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT: META-ANALYSIS OF 8 STUDIES COMPRISING 6166 PATIENTS

There are conflicting reports on the impact of moderate-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We perform a meta-analysis of available studies to evaluate the impact of moderate-severe MR on outcomes after TAVR. Mantel-Haenszel random
Feedback trading and autocorrelation interactions in the foreign exchange market: Further evidence

Abstract This paper tests for presence of feedback trading, asymmetric behavior and autocorrelation linkages in several industrial and emerging economies' exchange rates, with respect to the US dollar, as well as the Euro. The issue is examined via the means of a GARCH-augmented feedback model for the period of 1990 to 2003. The empirical results indicate presence of feedback trading and/or asymmetric behavior in both types of economies' exchange rates but absence of such behavior in the Euro. Presence of asymmetric behavior implies that market traders rely on central banks to intervene so they can realize short-term profits. Furthermore, evidence of volatility persistence in several exchange rates implies inefficiency in those markets. Finally, there are instances where the first-order autoregressive parameter is positive and statistically significant in the exchange rates of both industrial and emerging economies but not in the Euro. For the latter currency, lack of asymmetric behavior and feedback trading implies a credible currency in the eyes of foreign exchange traders.
Selective-area atomic layer epitaxy growth of ZnO features on soft lithography-patterned substrates

Templated ZnO thin-film growth from the vapor phase is achieved on docosyltrichloro- silane-patterned Si substrates using atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) combined with soft lithography. Patterned hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are first transferred to single-crystal Si surfaces by hot microcontact printing. Using diethylzinc and water as ALE precursors, crystalline ZnO layers are then grown selectively on the SAM-free surface regions where native hydroxy groups nucleate growth from the vapor phase. High-resolution ZnO patterns with 1.0–40 μm feature sizes are readily achieved, demonstrating that soft lithography combined with ALE is a simple and promising methodology for selective area in situ vapor phase fabrication of patterned oxide thin films.
Genetic analysis of chest dimensions in a high altitude Tibetan population from upper Chumik, Nepal

Studies of high altitude Andean natives generally report large chest dimensions relative to sea level groups, while results from studies of Himalayan populations are not consistent. One hypothesis is that this may represent different adaptive patterns in the two geographic areas. The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of chest dimensions by assessing the genetic components of variation in chest width and chest depth in a Tibetan population resident at 3250-3560 m in Upper Chumik, Nepal. Data were available for 608 individuals (298 males, 310 females) aged 2-79 years; 471 individuals could be assigned to 134 pedigrees containing between 2 and 10 people with data. The remaining 137 individuals were treated as independents. A maximum likelihood variance decomposition method was used to assess the genetic components of each trait. Growth in chest width and depth was modeled as a linear function of age until an asymptote, at which growth was considered to reach a plateau. Both chest width and chest depth were moderately heritable (h width2 = 0.50 ± 0.10, h depth2 = 0.49 ± 0.08). There was a significant genetic correlation (0.43 ± 0.13) between chest width and depth, suggesting that some genes have pleiotropic effects on both traits. The observed significant genetic components of these morphological traits indicate that there is potential in this population for genetic adaptation of chest dimensions to the high altitude environment. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Purification, partial characterization, and postembryonic levels of amylases from Sitophilus oryzae and Sitophilus granarius

Amylases from adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and S. granarius (L.) were purified by using a sequential procedure of ammonium sulfate precipitation, glycogen-complex formation, and ion exchange chromatography. Amylase of S. oryaze was purified 47.4-fold to a specific activity of 478 units/mg protein. One amylase unit equals 1 mg maltose hydrate produced/min at 30°C. Amylase of S. granarius was purified 85.4-fold to a specific activity of 453 units/mg protein. Amylase of S. oryzae had a Km of 0.173% for soluble starch and consisted of two anionic isozyrnes with isoelectric points of pH 3.70 and pH 3.76. Amylase of S. granarius had a Km of 0.078% for starch and was a single protein with an isoelectric point of pH 3.76. Purified amylases of both species had molecular weights of 56,000 estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were activated by chloride, and had double energies of activation calculated from Arrhenius plots. Based on fresh weights of adults feeding on whole wheat through 10 weeks of age, S. oryzae contained three-fold and eight-fold more amylase than S. granarius and S. zeamais Motschulsky, respectively. High amylase levels in S. oryzae may provide this species with an adaptive advantage when feeding on cereals containing naturally occurring amylase inhibitors.
A relation between best approximations in the Chebyshev and the gauges senses

On etablit une relation etroite entre les polynomes de la meilleure approximation au sens de Tchebychev et des jauges
Magnetoelectrostatic Trapping of Ground State OH Molecules

We report magnetic confinement of neutral, ground state OH at a density of $\ensuremath{\sim}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{3}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ and temperature of $\ensuremath{\sim}30\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mK}$. An adjustable electric field sufficiently large to polarize the OH is superimposed on the trap in various geometries, making an overall potential arising from both Zeeman and Stark effects. An effective molecular Hamiltonian is constructed, with Monte Carlo simulations accurately modeling the observed single-molecule dynamics in various trap configurations. Magnetic trapping of cold polar molecules under adjustable electric fields may enable study of low energy dipolar interactions.
Grounding of capacitors in integrated circuits

Fabrication techniques indicate that it is easier to obtain earthed capacitors than unearthed ones in integrated circuits. To take advantage of these techniques, a method to earth all capacitors, by replacing them with earthed gyrator-capacitor combinations, is described here.
Retina-specific protein fascin 2 is an actin cross-linker associated with actin bundles in photoreceptor inner segments and calycal processes.

PURPOSE. Fascin 2 is a retinal-specific member of the fascin family of actin filament-bundling proteins. Fascin 2 mutation in humans results in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration. To investigate the role of fascin 2 in photoreceptor survival, the authors examined its localization in photoreceptors and characterized its interactions with actin filaments in vitro. METHODS. Fascin 2 localization was determined by immunohistochemistry and transgenic expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged fascin 2 in Xenopus laevis rods. Fascin 2 actin-binding and actin-bundling activity were examined in sedimentation assays using bacterially expressed fusion proteins and polymerized actin. To assess the role of phosphorylation of a conserved serine (amino acid 39) in fascin 2 on subcellular localization and actin-binding, effects of serine mutants were also examined in transgenic Xenopus and in in vitro assays. RESULTS. Fascin 2 is localized to actin filament bundles of the photoreceptor inner segment and calycal processes. Like fascin 1, fascin 2 binds and cross-links actin filaments. Mutation of serine 39 to an aspartic acid reduced fascin 2 binding of actin filaments and abolished fascin 2 bundling of actin filaments in vitro but produced no detectable effect on GFP-tagged fascin 2 localization in transgenic Xenopus. CONCLUSIONS. These observations suggest that fascin 2 plays a role in the assembly or stabilization of inner segment and calycal process actin filament bundles in photoreceptors and that serine 39 phosphorylation reduces actin-binding and cross-linking activity and, thus, is likely to regulate the inner segment actin cytoskeleton.