cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of plastid genotypes in Oenothera subsect. Munzia by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs)

Five discrete plastid genotypes (plastomes), designated I–V and typified by Oenothera Hookeri, biennis, Lamarckiana, parviflora and argillicola respectively, have been previously characterized within the European subsect. Euoenothera. The evolutionarily more-derived plastome types (I, II and V) are generally less tolerant of new hybridization events than the ancestral types (III and IV), and were first identified based on their incompatibility reactions with standard hybrid nuclei. Restriction maps for all five plastomes are available for the enzymes PvuII, SalI, KpnI and PstI (Gordon et al. 1982). The present study employs PvuII and KpnI restriction digests to compare 28 of the 45 species of subsect. Munzia with Euoenothera plastomes I–V. The results of plastome RFLP fingerprinting show uniform divergence of the South American taxa from their European congeners; all share the previously documented 45-kb inversion in the large single-copy region reported by Hachtel et al. (1991). However, at least six new plastome types have evolved within subsect. Munzia, giving rise to small-fragment size differences of 0.1–0.7 kb. In two of these cases (Oe. featherstonei and Oe. longiflora) unique fragments occurred. For Oe. featherstonei the unique KpnI fragment resulted from a novel 2.2 kb insertion, whereas in Oe. longiflora an additional PvuII restriction site has been created.
IQ-services: resource-aware middleware for heterogeneous applications

Summary form only given. Heterogeneous computing platforms constitute a challenging execution environment for distributed applications. This article presents a 'systems' view of effective platform usage, by demonstrating the need for application software to be continuously 'aware' of the resources currently available on their underlying heterogeneous computing platforms. Our approach to the implementation of resource awareness is one that (1) provides a 'thin' middleware layer of resource aware services that permit applications to react to changes in resource availability and resources to be managed in accordance with application needs, and that (2) develops compiler- and application-level techniques for dynamic 'service morphing', the goal being to make it easy for application-level services to adjust to runtime changes in application needs or in platform resources. The specific results presented in this article are focused on large-data applications, for which the IQ-services "morphing" layer implements the data manipulations necessary to permit wide-area interactive or multimedia applications to proceed smoothly despite variations in underlying computing and network resources. Experimental results demonstrate substantial performance improvements attained by coordinating network-level with service-level adaptations of the data being transported and by permitting end users to dynamically deploy and use application-specific services for manipulating data in ways suitable for their current needs.
Aging syndrome genes and premature coronary artery disease

Background Vascular disease is a feature of aging, and coronary vascular events are a major source of morbidity and mortality in rare premature aging syndromes. One such syndrome is caused by mutations in the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene, which also has been implicated in familial insulin resistance. A second gene related to premature aging in man and in murine models is the KLOTHO gene, a hypomorphic variant of which (KL-VS) is significantly more common in the first-degree relatives of patients with premature coronary artery disease (CAD). We evaluated whether common variants at the LMNA or KLOTHO genes are associated with rigorously defined premature CAD.
Gas-phase acidities of nitrated azoles as determined by the extended kinetic method and computations.

Making use of the extended kinetic method and the alternative method for data analysis, we have experimentally determined ΔH°acid (kcal/mol) for six mononitrated azole species (2-nitropyrrole = 337...
Peroxidase-Thiocyanate-Peroxide Antibacterial System Does Not Damage DNA

The hypothiocyanite ion (OSCN - ) is a normal component of human saliva. It is a highly reactive oxidizing agent, and at concentrations above the values normally found in human saliva, it inhibits the growth and metabolism of oral bacteria. This finding has led to the suggestion that antibacterial properties of human saliva might be enhanced in vivo by appropriate supplements which elevate OSCN - concentrations. Since DNA is sensitive to oxidizing agents (hydrogen peroxide attacks nucleosides), high concentrations of OSCN - in human saliva might damage DNA and produce deleterious effects on the oral mucosa. In the present study, the effect of high OSCN - concentrations on several mutagen-sensitive Salmonella typhimurium strains was determined. These strains are used to detect base-pair substitutions and frameshift mutations. We also studied the effects of OSCN - on a Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) strain commonly employed as a test cell for evaluating the potential of a compound to produce gene conversion, mitotic crossing-over, or reverse mutation. By recording the UV spectra of mixtures of calf thymus DNA and OSCN - , we explored the possible in vitro reactions of this oxidizing agent with eucaryotic genetic material. Our results show that, at concentrations above 10 μM, OSCN - is toxic for the tested Salmonella typhimurium strains. The mutant strains with defects in cell wall lipopolysaccharides are killed more readily by OSCN - than is the strain lacking these defects. However, OSCN - was not mutagenic for any of the tested strains. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was not affected by OSCN - even at concentrations above 800 μM. Calf thymus DNA was not oxidized by OSCN - . We conclude that the elevated concentrations of OSCN - required to produce antibacterial effects in the human mouth pose no threat to the genetic material of host tissues.
Green Growth and the Efficient Use of Natural Resources

Abstract The relatively new concept of “green growth” can be fruitfully connected to concepts and theories in neoclassical economics including market externalities, Ricardian and Hotelling rents, and policies that would correct externalities such as Pigovian taxes or a cap and trade system set to achieve emissions reductions consistent with cost benefit assessment. Partial equilibrium concepts have been extended to general equilibrium models, including their realization in relatively detailed empirical models that faithfully adhere to theoretical concepts of neoclassical economics. With such models we are then able to see how resource depletion and environmental degradation are affecting the economy, and how efforts to reduce the impact of these environmental and resource constraints could improve economic growth and performance. The foundation for traditional computable general equilibrium models are the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs), input–output (I–O) tables, and expanded Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs). The basis for extending these to include environmental and resource assets and goods are so called Integrated Economic and Environmental Social Accounts (IEESAs). While environmental effects are often considered to be “non-market,” many of the impacts of environment are often reflected in market accounts through damages that might include, for example, less labor (due to environment related health problems), reduced productivity of agroecosystems, or damage to infrastructure and other produced assets. The challenge is to make the environmental connection explicit so as to provide a guide to where changes in policies could provide benefit. However, some damages do not enter the accounts at all, and mainly this is because household labor and leisure time are generally not valued in traditional accounts. Hence the cost of illness in terms of reduced ability to contribute to household activities would be missed in the standard accounts. While the theoretical structure for expanding the accounts has been laid out in various reviews, the empirical challenge of doing so is substantial. Careful attention to expanding NIPA accounts, making it a regular part of government statistical agencies' efforts would improve the foundation for analysis of potential “green growth” policies and measures.
Leg ulcers associated with Klinefelter’s syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

We present the case of a young man with type II diabetes, stage III chronic kidney disease, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes who presented to the Georgetown University Hospital Center for Wound Healing with refractory lower extremity ulcers. Autoimmune work-up was negative. However, chromosome analysis showed a genetic variant of Klinefelter’s syndrome (48 XXYY). Lower extremity ulceration is a recognised complication of Klinefelter’s syndrome. The pathogenesis of ulcers in this endocrinopathy is unclear, but associations with abnormalities of fibrinolysis and prothrombotic states are reported. This case emphasises the importance of considering Klinefelter’s syndrome in the differential diagnosis of a sterile male patient with non healing lower extremity ulcers.
Poly(phenylene oxide) copolymer anion exchange membranes

Poly(phenylene oxide) block and random copolymers are synthesized by oxidative polymerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol and 2,6-diphenylphenol for potential alkaline exchange membrane application. The copolymers are functionalized on the methyl substituted repeat units through a two-step process to produce pendent quaternary ammonium cationic groups. The amount of quaternary ammonium cations and the ion exchange capacity are quantified through titration measurements. Ionic conductivity of the copolymer membranes is measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Block copolymers show increased bromide conductivity at higher ion exchange capacities compared with the random copolymer analogs. The bromide conductivity for a block copolymer film with an ion exchange capacity of 1.27 mequiv/g reaches 26 mS/cm at 90 °C and 95% relative humidity. The hydroxide conductivity for the same film was measured to be 84 mS/cm at 80 °C and 95% relative humidity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1770–1778, 2013
An efficient rank-deficient computation of the Principle of Relevant Information

One of the main difficulties in computing information theoretic learning (ITL) estimators is the computational complexity that grows quadratically with data. Considerable amount of work has been done on computation of low rank approximations of Gram matrices without accessing all their elements. In this paper we discuss how these techniques can be applied to reduce computational complexity of Principle of Relevant Information (PRI). This particular objective function involves estimators of Renyi's second order entropy and cross-entropy and their gradients, therefore posing a technical challenge for implementation in a realistic scenario. Moreover, we introduce a simple modification to the Nystrom method motivated by the idea that our estimator must perform accurately only for certain vectors not for all possible cases. We show some results on how this rank deficient decompositions allow the application of the PRI on moderately large datasets.
Laser studies of polaritons

Polaritons describe the quanta of coupled photon-phonon modes in a crystal. It was well-known that propagation of an electromagnetic wave in a medium near resonance is governed by anomalous dispersion, but treating the wave as an elementary excitation in the medium was a new and important concept. First, photons (can be extended outside a medium) and phonons (restricted to existing inside a medium) are now treated on equal footing. Second, the medium-dressed propagating electromagnetic modes are taken as characteristic modes of the medium. Third, the coupled mode idea can be extended to many other interesting problems in condensed matter physics. The advent of lasers has greatly facilitated the study of polaritons. This paper describes the important advances in the past quarter century.
Stimulated Raman scattering in a nematic liquid crystal

Abstract Intense spikes of stokes Raman radiation are observed in the backward stimulated scattering of nematic liquid crystal MBBA in the isotropic phase. Threshold powers for stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering are studied as a function of temperature.
Turbulent disruptions from the Strauss equations

Preliminary results are reported from application of a three-dimensional spectral method model to the solution of the Strauss (1976) reduced MHD equations. The investigation was focused on describing MHD turbulence in a current-carrying bounded magnetofluid. A cylindrical geometry with a square cross-section was considered, with the walls being rigid perfect conductors with free-slip boundary conditions. A uniform magnetic field and the electric current density both point in the z-direction. Initial conditions are specified which feature small amounts of random noise expressed as Fourier modes. Linearized equations are defined for tracing the movement to equlibrium conditions or other temporal development. The model is further refined with nonlinear equations to examine the effects of the appearance of disruptions. Comparisons are drawn between solutions obtained with linear and nonlinear equations, with an eye to the associated physical realities.
Sports Illustrated,the Mainstream Press and the Enactment of Drug Policy in Major League Baseball: A study in agenda-building theory

This article advances on existing studies in agenda-building theory, examining how a prominent sports magazine can build an agenda for mainstream press coverage, which in turn assists in building policy agendas. When Ken Caminiti, a former Most Valuable Player in the National League, admitted to Sports Illustrated in June 2002 that he used anabolic steroids during his award-winning season, mainstream newspaper journalists reported the revelations heavily, with many calling for changes in policy and the introduction of drug testing. As discussed here, policy-makers apparently listened: approximately three months after the magazine expose appeared, baseball instituted a drug testing procedure. The study reveals how mainstream newspaper reports (n = 231) built on the Sports Illustrated investigation and how policy-makers reacted to a widespread condemnation of professional baseball, namely its apparent inability to police itself.
β-Catenin Is Involved in Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1-Mediated Transactivation of the Androgen Receptor

The androgen-signaling pathway is important for the growth and progression of prostate cancer cells. IGF-I and other polypeptide growth factors have been shown to be capable of induction of androgen receptor (AR) activation in the absence of, or at low levels of, ligand. It has been shown that IGF-I increases the cellular level of β-catenin, an AR coactivator. In this study, we performed several experiments to test whether β-catenin is involved in IGF-I-induced AR-mediated transcription. We demonstrate that IGF-I enhances the expression of endogenous prostate-specific antigen, an AR target gene, and elevates the level of cytoplasmic and nuclear β-catenin in prostate cancer cells. Transfection of either wild-type or a constitutively active mutant of the IGF-I receptor augments AR-mediated transcription. An antisense construct of β-catenin that decreases the cellular level of β-catenin can reduce IGF-1 receptor-mediated enhancement of AR activity. Moreover, using a pulse-chase experiment, we showed that IGF...
Plexogenic arteriopathy in broiler lungs: Evaluation of line, age, and sex influences

Plexiform lesions form in the terminal pulmonary arterioles of human patients suffering from prolonged pulmonary arterial hypertension. Plexiform lesions also develop in broiler lungs, but lesion incidences are not strongly correlated with sustained pulmonary hypertension as reflected by right to total ventricular weight (RVTV) ratios. The present study was conducted to assess plexiform lesion incidences in broiler lines that have been divergently selected for susceptibility or resistance to pulmonary hypertension. Broilers from susceptible (SUS) and resistant (RES) lines were reared together and only clinically healthy (nonascitic, noncyanotic) individuals were evaluated to minimize potential line differences in cardiopulmonary hemodynamics. The objective was to determine if an innate genetic predisposition for plexogenic arteriopathy would be exposed in SUS broilers when compared with RES broilers in the absence of extreme differences in cardiopulmonary hemodynamics. Broilers up to 12 wk age from the SUS and RES lines had essentially equivalent BW, indices of cardiopulmonary function (left ventricle + septum weight, total ventricle weight, and RVTV ratios), and lung volumes within a sex. Average RVTV ratios for broilers from both lines were indicative of normal pulmonary arterial pressures at all ages sampled. Nevertheless, plexiform lesions were detected in SUS and RES broiler lungs immediately posthatch and thereafter at all ages sampled. Lesion incidences were consistently low and did not differ between the lines within any of the sampling ages. This evidence demonstrates that plexiform lesions develop extremely rapidly in broiler chicks, apparently without the prerequisite for vascular stress caused by severe, prolonged pulmonary arterial hypertension. No innate genetic predisposition for complex vascular lesion development appeared to exist in the SUS line when compared with the RES line.
Optics for the 20/20 telescope

We present a plan for making the optics of a 21 m telescope that builds on advances in mirror design and fabrication developed for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) and other large telescopes. The 21 m telescope, with a fast f/0.7 primary mirror made of only seven large honeycomb-sandwich segments and an adaptive secondary with matching segments, is much stiffer than other designs and offers simpler and more accurate wavefront control. It can be a powerful stand-alone telescope, or one of a pair that move on a circular track to achieve coherent imaging with baselines up to 120 m (the 20/20 telescope). Each segment of the 21 m primary mirror is similar to an 8.4 m LBT primary, and each segment of the 2.1 m adaptive secondary mirror is similar to an LBT secondary. The off-axis segments of both mirrors can be made with the same methods and equipment currently used at the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, and can be polished with the same stressed-lap polishing system used for the LBT mirrors. A change in algorithm to accommodate the asymmetric surface is required, but no new hardware development is needed because the lap bending is similar to that for the LBT mirrors. Each segment can be measured interferometrically, with a combination reflective and diffractive null corrector producing an accurate aspheric template wavefront and alignment references for the segments.
Evolution of Coronal Holes and Implications for High-Speed Solar Wind During the Minimum Between Cycles 23 and 24

We analyze coronal holes present on the Sun during the extended minimum between Cycles 23 and 24, study their evolution, examine the consequences for the solar wind speed near the Earth, and compare it with the previous minimum in 1996. We identify coronal holes and determine their size and location using a combination of EUV observations from SOHO/EIT and STEREO/EUVI and magnetograms. We find that the long period of low solar activity from 2006 to 2009 was characterized by weak polar magnetic fields and polar coronal holes smaller than observed during the previous minimum. We also find that large, low-latitude coronal holes were present on the Sun until 2008 and remained important sources of recurrent high-speed solar wind streams. By the end of 2008, these low-latitude coronal holes started to close down, and finally disappeared in 2009, while smaller, mid-latitude coronal holes formed in the remnants of Cycle 24 active regions shifting the sources of the solar wind at the Earth to higher latitudes.
Effects of application rate on avian risk from granular pesticides

Fensulfothion was formulated on silica granules to evaluate the relationship between avian risk of adverse effects from granular pesticides and granule availability. Captive house sparrows (Passer domesticus) were offered the granular pesticide in bands on soil surfaces at application rates of 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,200, 1,600, or 2,000 LD50/ft 2 . Individual pesticide granules were formulated with 1/2 the LD50 for house sparrows (0.3 mg/kg). Bird behavior, survival, and brain cholinesterase activity were used to assess pesticide exposure. A significant negative correlation between brain ChE activity and the natural logarithm of application rate indicated that the relationship between avian risk and granule availability was asymptotic rather than linear. Thus. the assumption, implicit in the LD50/ft 2 risk index, that the potential exposure of birds to granular pesticides increases as granule availability increases may result in overestimates of risk to birds from granular pesticides, particularly at higher granule application rates.
Induction of mammary tumors in virgin female BALB/c mice by single low doses of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene

The induction of mammary tumors in virgin female inbred BALB/c mice after administration of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) over a wide range of doses was studied. Mice were exposed at 12 weeks of age to single or multiple doses of DMBA ranging from 0.0025 to 12.0 mg by gastric intubation and were checked regularly for mammary tumors. The experiment was terminated when the mice were 800 days of age. In the dose range of 0.0025--0.125 mg DMBA, the incidence of mammary tumors was dose-dependent. At higher doses, the mammary tumor incidence became less dose-dependent and was nearly independent of doses above the 0.25-mg level. Analysis of the data for the rate of appearance of mammary tumors with age of the animals and for the age at death of non-mammary tumor-bearing animals indicated that in the low dose range induction of mammary tumors was the predominant effect of DMBA exposure, whereas at moderate to high doses the toxic and carcinogenic effects of DMBA on other tissues significantly influenced the final incidence of mammary tumors. Greater than 90% of the tumors that resulted from administration of low doses of DMBA were adenocarcinomas. In contrast, adenocarcinomas and adenoacanthomas were found in approximately equal proportions following administration of high doses of DMBA.
Evolutionary Biology in the Medical School Curriculum

Abstract The principles of evolution are finding new applications in medicine, but little is known about the role of evolutionary biology in medical curricula. To determine which aspects of evolutionary biology are included in medical curricula and the factors that influence this, a questionnaire was sent to all deans at North American medical schools who are responsible for curricula. The questionnaire asked about content areas in the curriculum, their perceived importance, and the factors that influence the amount of coverage given to those areas. Forty-eight percent of the deans who responded considered evolutionary biology important knowledge for physicians. Only 32 percent of the respondents reported that their schools covered at least 8 of 16 core topics in evolutionary biology, and only 16 percent of the schools reported having any faculty with a PhD in evolutionary biology. Lack of time in the curriculum and lack of faculty expertise are the main perceived impediments to increased teaching of evol...
Fault-tolerant clock synchronization for distributed systems with high message delay variation

Fault-tolerant clock synchronization is an important requirement in many distributed systems, especially in time-critical and safety-critical applications. Frequently, interactive convergence algorithms are used for fault-tolerant clock synchronization, providing advantages such as fully distributed operation, low message exchange overhead and simplicity of implementation. This paper presents the measured performance of three interactive convergence clock synchronization algorithms. Our experiments were conducted in a distributed UNIX environment featuring high message delay variation, which poses severe constraints on the clock synchronization tightness that may be achieved. The algorithms that were tested are: FTMA (fault-tolerant midpoint algorithm), AEFTMA (adaptive exponential averaging fault-tolerant midpoint algorithm), and SWA (sliding window algorithm). Our experimental results indicate that SWA outperforms the other algorithms in this environment, being able to achieve tighter synchronization under different simulated fault conditions. The superiority of SWA can be attributed to its high degree of fault tolerance, combined with its ability to treat messages with much longer than expected delays as faults.
Overexpression of soluble Fas attenuates transplant arteriosclerosis in rat aortic allografts

Background— The killing of vascular cells by activated macrophages is an important step in the process of destabilization of the arterial wall. The death receptor Fas is implicated in vascular cell death. Hence, we extended our studies in a rat aortic allograft model, using adenovirus-mediated overexpression of soluble Fas (sFas) to block Fas binding to Fas ligand (Fas-L). The contribution of Fas to vascular cell injury and consequent transplant arteriosclerosis was investigated. Methods and Results— Activated monocytes in the presence of macrophage colony-stimulating factor induce endothelial cell apoptosis in vitro, which was significantly inhibited by adenovirus-mediated sFas overexpression. Next, donor rat abdominal aortas were either untreated or transduced with adenoviruses encoding (1) rat soluble Fas (Ad3rsFas), (2) no insert (Ad3Null), and (3) β-galactosidase (Ad3nBg). A total of 175 aortic grafts were harvested 2 to 90 days after transplantation. Vascular cell apoptosis and CD45+ cell infiltrati...
Promising Antituberculosis Activity of the Oxazolidinone PNU-100480 Relative to That of Linezolid in a Murine Model

Oxazolidinone antibiotics have activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Linezolid, the only marketed oxazolidinone, has been used off-label in combination regimens to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, but its precise contribution to the efficacy of such combinations is unclear. Another oxazolidinone, PNU-100480, has been demonstrated to have more potent activity in vitro and in a murine model of tuberculosis. In this study, we compared the pharmacokinetics and the antituberculosis activities of these two oxazolidinones over a range of doses and found that linezolid has limited activity at clinically relevant doses in the murine model compared to that of PNU-100480, which has potent bactericidal activity, even at lower drug exposures. These findings were unexpected, given the similar in vitro activities of PNU-100480, its major metabolites, and linezolid. Moreover, the incorporation of PNU-100480 dramatically improved the bactericidal activities of regimens containing current first-line antituberculosis drugs and moxifloxacin. For example, the addition of PNU-100480 (100 mg/kg of body weight/day) to the standard daily regimen of rifampin (rifampicin), isoniazid, and pyrazinamide resulted in an additional 2.0-log10-unit reduction in lung CFU counts during the first 2 months of treatment. The combination of PNU-100480, moxifloxacin, and pyrazinamide, which does not contain either rifampin or isoniazid, was also more active than rifampin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide. These results suggest that PNU-100480 may have the potential to significantly shorten the duration of therapy for drug-susceptible as well as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
Shooting Craps in Search of an Optimal Strategy for Training Connectionist Pattern Classifiers

We compare two strategies for training connectionist (as well as non-connectionist) models for statistical pattern recognition. The probabilistic strategy is based on the notion that Bayesian discrimination (i.e., optimal classification) is achieved when the classifier learns the a posteriori class distributions of the random feature vector. The differential strategy is based on the notion that the identity of the largest class a posteriori probability of the feature vector is all that is needed to achieve Bayesian discrimination. Each strategy is directly linked to a family of objective functions that can be used in the supervised training procedure. We prove that the probabilistic strategy - linked with error measure objective functions such as mean-squared-error and cross-entropy - typically used to train classifiers necessarily requires larger training sets and more complex classifier architectures than those needed to approximate the Bayesian discriminant function. In contrast. we prove that the differential strategy - linked with classificationfigure-of-merit objective functions (CFMmono) [3] - requires the minimum classifier functional complexity and the fewest training examples necessary to approximate the Bayesian discriminant function with specified precision (measured in probability of error). We present our proofs in the context of a game of chance in which an unfair C-sided die is tossed repeatedly. We show that this rigged game of dice is a paradigm at the root of all statistical pattern recognition tasks, and demonstrate how a simple extension of the concept leads us to a general information-theoretic model of sample complexity for statistical pattern recognition.
Studies of the dynamic range of photorefractive gratings in ferroelectric crystals

The dynamic range, defined as the range of intensity ratios for which two writing beams can induce a detectable photorefractive grating, is measured for ferroelectric crystals BaTiO3, KNbO3, SrxBa1−xNbO6, BaxSr2−xK1−yNayNb5O15. Our results show a large dynamic range in all these crystals, 70–100 dB, which should prove these crystals useful for signal processing and computing applications. The observed limit on the dynamic range was due predominantly to the detector noise and therefore was not the fundamental limit imposed by the underlying physics of photorefractive noise. The calculations of noise based on limited photon density flux (shot noise) and thermally induced grating fluctuations (thermal noise) show the dynamic range to be 4–5 orders of magnitude higher than that observed experimentally.
Improving insulin resistance in obese youth: choose your measures wisely.

AbstractObjective. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) to more direct measures of insulin action before and after lifestyle interventions in obese Latino youth. Study design. Eleven obese Latino boys (age 15.1 ± 1.6 years, body mass index (BMI) percentile 97.3 ± 3.5%) and twenty obese Latina girls (age 14.7 ± 1.8 years, BMI percentile 96.6 ± 3.6%) participated in two distinct lifestyle interventions. Boys participated in a 16-week exercise intervention and girls participated in a 12-week nutrition education program. Insulin sensitivity was determined by the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT) in boys and by a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test with multiple sampling calculations for the whole-body insulin sensitivity index (WBISI) in girls. HOMA-IR was measured for both groups. Results. HOMA-IR was correlated at baseline to the FSIVGTT (r = −0.57, p = 0.07) and the WBISI (r = −0.78, p<0.01) and at fol...
Development of the Primary Teacher Questionnaire

Abstract This study describes the development of the Primary Teacher Questionnaire (PTQ), a self-report teacher beliefs scale based on the National Association for the Education of Young Children Position Statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the Primary Grades. The study was conducted in three phases: item development, initial testing and scale refinement, and field testing. In the field test, a 42-item version of the PTQ, consisting of an 18-item developmentally based subscale (DAP) and a 24-item traditionally based subscale (TRAD), was administered to 144 elementary and early childhood preservice and inservice teachers. Each subscale highly differentiated respondents on the basis of background in early childhood education. In addition, the PTQ subscales were internally consistent, with high reliability estimates (DAP = .802; TRAD = .867). Factor analysis showed two factors that, although they did not account for a high proportion of the scale variation, did show item clusters that were h...
Predation of Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Field Peppers by Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)

Natural enemies have not been shown previously to play a significant role in regulating thrips in field crops. Most thrips are r-selected with population attributes that are believed to result in thrips outstripping the capacity of natural enemies to regulate thrips populations. In replicated field experiments conducted in 1995, insecticide applications to peppers were observed to increase rather than decrease populations of Frankliniella spp. thrips in flowers. We conducted experiments in 1996 and 1997 to determine if this phenomenon resulted from exclusion of predators. Species of thrips abundant in the pepper flowers were Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), F. tritici (Fitch), and F. bispinosa (Morgan). The only common predator in the flowers was Orius insidiosus (Say). Different treatments of biological and synthetic insecticides were used which altered the population densities of prey and predator. Covariate analyses over time were used each year to separate insecticide and predator effects on thrips populations. The predator significantly suppressed populations of all three thrips species. F. occidentalis and F. tritici reproduced in pepper flowers, but most of the larval thrips in untreated plots were F. occidentalis. Near extinction of F. occidentalis adults and larvae occurred within days after predator:prey ratios reached 1:40. Exclusion of the predator with synthetic insecticides resulted in continued abundance of thrips. We conclude that O. insidious was an effective predator that suppressed populations of Frankliniella spp. in field peppers during a period when thrips were rapidly colonizing and developing in the flowers. Species of Orius are abundant predators nearly worldwide, and the role of density dependence in regulation of thrips populations should be reevaluated.
Is the home-field advantage in limited overs one-day international cricket only for day matches?

The impact of the factors "home field advantage" , "winning the toss" and "team superiority" on the outcome of Limited Overs One Day International (ODI) cricket matches is investigated. Our results show that the "home-field-advantage" is a significant factor but only for "Day" matches. Confirming previous studies, we also show that "winning the toss" does not give any statistically significant advantage towards the outcome of the game.
Arab American Emerging Adults’ Ethnic Identity and Its Relation to Psychological Well-Being:

Despite Arab Americans’ increasing population in the United States, there is limited research concerning their psychological functioning. Ethnic identity (EI) has been found to positively predict the psychological well-being of various ethnic minority individuals. Therefore, in a sample of Arab American, emerging adult college students, we investigated how Phinney’s Multigroup EI Measure subscales (i.e., Other-Group Orientation (OGO), Affirmation & Belonging, EI Exploration, and EI Commitment) predicted components of the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being (i.e., Self-Acceptance, Personal Growth, and Purpose in Life). Affirmation & Belonging positively predicted Self-Acceptance, EI Commitment predicted Purpose in Life, and OGO predicted Personal Growth. Additionally, EI Exploration negatively predicted Self-Acceptance. Findings were generally consistent with Social Identity Theory, Erikson’s theory, Phinney’s theory, and previous research. Results demonstrated the importance of studying components of ...
Book Review: The Empire Strikes Back: Outsiders and the Struggle Over Legal Education

There's really no good reason to read a book by the author's colleague Arthur Austin, but this review does its best to find one.
Survey of Twospotted Spider Mite (Acari:Tetranychidae) Host Plants in the Mississippi Delta

Abstract A survey of twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, hosts was conducted during the spring months of 2007, 2008, and 2009 in Mississippi. Uncultivated field borders that supported a diverse flora of herbaceous plants and adjacent in-field weeds were sampled from late-March through May for the presence of twospotted spider mite. Twospotted spider mite preference for each plant species was determined and ranked in a 0 - 3 scale. Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule L., was the most consistent and preferred host of twospotted spider mite in Mississippi. Carolina geranium, Geranium carolinianum L., cutleaf geranium, Geranium dissectum L., vetch, Vicia spp., volunteer soybean, Glycine max L., purple deadnettle, Lamium purpureum L., and spiny sowthistle, Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, were other frequently infested dicotyledonous species. Of the monocotyledonous species sampled, only rescuegrass, Bromus catharticus Vahl, john-songrass, Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., and volunteer corn, Zea mays L., appeared t...
Micromachined Polysilicon Resonating Xylophone Bar Magnetometer: Resonance Characteristics

A miniaturized, polysilicon version of a xylophone bar magnetometer (with dimensions on the order of microns) has been fabricated by microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) processing techniques. All devices tested to date have performed extremely well in static magnetic fields and exhibit mechanical quality factors, Q, of up to 30,000 at reduced pressures. The resonance frequency of the fundamental flexural mode of vibration of these polysilicon xylophone bars has been found to be a sensitive function of the torsional stiffness of the support arms, in quantitative accord with an analytical model based on Bernoulli-Euler beam theory.
Empirical relations between magnitudes and fault parameters for earthquakes in Iran

Abstract Observations on fault displacement D , fault length L , and surface-wave magnitude M s , larger than 6, for 14 well-studied earthquakes in Iran are considered and the following relationships are established 1. M s = 1.259 + 1.244 log L 2. M s = 3.829 + 0.633 log LD 3. M s = 4.841 + 0.398 log LD 2 4. M s = 6.575 + 0.999 log D 5. log D = −3.832 + 0.914 log L where L and D are in meters. For 10 earthquakes, all the models pass the analysis of variance F test at the 95 per cent confidence level. In addition, the multiple correlation coefficients for equations (1) to (4) are above 0.90, and equation (2) has the highest value of 0.970. This value for equation (5) is only 0.747. Using these equations together with worldwide data, for the relation between M s and log W , where W is the fault width, the following equation log ⁡ M 0 = 14.354 + 1.733 M s is established between seismic moments, M o and M s . Moments obtained by this equation are in very good agreement with those obtained either from surface-wave and body-wave data or from field observations.
Study on prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its related risk factors in residents of DSP in Hainan Province

0bjective To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome(MS) in residents of DSP inHainan. Methods A questionnaire investigation was conducted with stratified cluster sampling of 1200 subjects for physicalexamination and the blood samples were collected for measurement of fat and plasma glucose. MS was diagnosed for calculationof the prevalence and the risk factors were analyzed with logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence rate of AS were10.6%,Standardized rate was 8.8%. the prevalence rates and standardized rates of hypertension, overweight and obesity,hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia were 25.4%(21.1%), 25.4%(10.9%), 6.6%(5.5%), 5.5%(29.5%), 23.8%(19.7%), showingstatistically significant differences among the factors of gender, age, culture level, and overweight,obesity and sedentarylifestyle(P 0.05). Logistic regression analysis suggested a significant relationship between the family diabetes history, age,obesity, sedentary lifestyle and the MS. Conclusion Target population of MS in Hainan province are those with hypertension,hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. Early integrated intervention measures could reduce the risks of morbidity and mortality ofcardiovascular disease.
Synthesis of PVDF/ZrO_2 Hybrid Membranes and Its Adsorption Property Toward Bovine Hemoglobin

PVDF/ZrO2hybrid membranes was synthesized by blending the PVDF casting solution and ZrO2 nanoparticles whose surface was modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD) and thermal analysis were used to character the membranes. The results showed that the functionalized ZrO2nanoparticles were deposited on the surface and entrapped into the inner pores of PVDF. The pore size of PVDF was affected by ZrO2additions,which were enlarged as the ZrO2 loading amounts increased. The adsorption experiments of BHb showed that an enhanced adsorption capacity was observed for PVDF/ZrO2hybrid membranes. When the initial concentration of BHb was 150 μg/mL,the pH value was 7 and the contact time was 45 min,the maximum capacity of hybrid membrane was 0. 181 mg/cm2. Its adsorption kinetics was in accordance with the first order kinetics model,and the adsorption isothermal was fitted to the Langmuir equation.
Extending Consensus Clustering to Explore Multiple Clustering Views.

Consensus clustering has emerged as an important extension of the classical clustering problem. Given a set of input clusterings of a given dataset, consensus clustering aims to find a single final clustering which is a better fit in some sense than the existing clusterings. There is a significant drawback in generating a single consensus clustering since different input clusterings could differ significantly. In this paper, we develop a new framework, called Multiple Consensus Clustering (MCC), to explore multiple clustering views of a given dataset from a set of input clusterings. Instead of generating a single consensus, MCC organizes the different input clusterings into a hierarchical tree structure and allows for interactive exploration of multiple clustering solutions. A dynamic programming algorithm is proposed to obtain a flat partition from the hierarchical tree using the modularity measure. Multiple consensuses are finally obtained by applying consensus clustering algorithms to each cluster of the partition. Extensive experimental results on 11 real world data sets and a case study on a Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) data set demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Corrosion of INCONEL Alloy 625 in Molten LiCl-Li2O-Li

INCONEL alloy 625® (I625) was exposed to molten LiCl-Li2O-Li to evaluate the material reliability for applications involving the electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide. Samples of I625 were expose...
Using fluorophore-labeled oligonucleotides to measure affinities of protein-DNA interactions

Changes in fluorescence emission intensity and anisotropy can reflect changes in the environment and molecular motion of a fluorophore. Researchers can capitalize on these characteristics to assess the affinity and specificity of DNA-binding proteins using fluorophore-labeled oligonucleotides. While there are many advantages to measuring binding using fluorescent oligonucleotides, there are also some distinct disadvantages. Here we describe some of the relevant issues for the novice, illustrating key points using data collected with a variety of labeled oligonucleotides and the relaxase domain of F plasmid TraI. Topics include selection of a fluorophore, experimental design using a fluorometer equipped with an automatic titrating unit, and analysis of direct binding and competition assays.
Anesthesia and White Matter Injury

There is growing evidence that routinely used anesthetic agents possess a certain degree of neurotoxicity. These effects seem to be particularly pronounced in both developing and aged brains in animal models. Clinical studies are ongoing to determine if this potential neurotoxicity is (1) appreciable in humans and (2) reflected in clinical outcomes. Interestingly, different anesthetic agents seem to leave different signatures of neurotoxicity in laboratory studies, though the clinical relevance of this finding is yet to be determined. Additionally, laboratory studies have demonstrated that some anesthetic agents may modify the pathophysiologic substrates of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Laboratory and clinical studies are ongoing to determine the impact of anesthetics on disease states such as AD, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Finally, we will discuss the new studies of anesthetics and neuroinflammation.
Abstract P637: Pigment Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF) Deficiency Increases Blood Pressure And Accentuates Glomerular Pathology In Diabetic Mice

Pigment Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF) encoded by SERPINF1 gene has potent anti-angiogenic and cytoprotective activities. It has been reported that PEDF protein levels are reduced in the kidneys of rodents with experimentally induced diabetes. However the effect of PEDF on blood pressure has not been elucidated. Here, we used SERPINF1 KO mice to examine the impact of PEDF deficiency on kidney pathology and blood pressure in the STZ-induced mouse model of diabetes. Twelve weeks after diabetes induction by STZ, SERPINF1 KO mice showed exacerbated glomerular damage with ~ 2-fold increase in mesangial matrix (2.8±0.14 vs. 1.2±0.14 arbitrary units, p<0.01) and ~ 20% decrease in podocyte counts (8.2±0.0.4 vs. 9.7±0.2 podocytes/glomerulus, p<0.01) compared to the wild type controls. Of note, STZ-treated SERPINF1-/- mice displayed elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) (127±4 vs. 109±4 mmHg, p<0.01, n=11). Our data indicate that global PEDF deficiency intensifies glomerular injury in STZ-induced mouse model of diabetes. An important drawback of most murine models of diabetic kidney disease is the lack of hypertension, a known key factor that accelerates progression to CKD in humans. In contrast, we found that STZ-treated SERPINF1-/- mice become hypertensive. Together, our findings point to SERPINF1-/- mice as an attractive model to study diabetic kidney disease and hypertension in mice and suggest an important causative role of PEDF downregulation in glomerular pathology in diabetes.