cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioactivation of lumiracoxib by peroxidases and human liver microsomes: identification of multiple quinone imine intermediates and GSH adducts.

Lumiracoxib (Prexige; 2-[(2-fluoro-6-chlorophenyl)amino]-5-methyl-benzeneacetic acid) is a cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor for the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis. Recently, the drug has been withdrawn in several countries due to serious liver side effects. Li et al. recently have shown that lumiracoxib is bioactivated to a proposed quinone imine that is trapped by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to form two NAC adducts in human and rat liver microsomal incubations. The current study demonstrated that the lumiracoxib metabolite 4′-hydroxylumiracoxib (M5) can also be bioactivated by peroxidases such as horseradish peroxidase, myeloperoxidase, and prostaglandin H synthases. Efforts were also made to identify GSH adducts formed by P450s in human liver microsomal incubations of lumiracoxib. We herein report the detection and characterization of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra-GSH adducts in these oxidizing systems. Most of the conjugates were generated as a result of bioactivation of M5 by both peroxidases an...
Common Pitfalls in the Application of Stationary Process Theory to Time-Sampled and Modulated Signals

The common practice of applying the theory of stationary stochastic processes to a cyclostationary process by introducing random phase(s) into the probabilistic model in order to stationarize the process can lead to erroneous results, such as incorrect formulas for power spectral density. This is illustrated by showing that commonly used formulas for signals that have undergone frequency conversion or time sampling can be incorrect. The source of error is shown to be inappropriate phase-randomization procedures. The correct procedure is described, and corrected formulas are given. The problem is further illustrated by showing that commonly used resolution and reliability (mean and variance) formulas for spectrum analyzers must be corrected for cyclostationary signals. It is explained that all corrections to formulas reflect the effects of spectral correlation. These effects are inappropriately averaged out by inappropriate phase-randomization procedures. It is further explained that these inappropriate procedures destroy the important property of ergodicity of the probabilistic model.
Reversible inactivation of the nucleus of the solitary tract impairs retention performance in an inhibitory avoidance task

Several peripherally acting hormones and drugs are known to modulate memory storage processes, yet the mechanisms which permit these agents to influence memory is not well understood since they do not freely enter the brain. The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is one brainstem structure which receives important neural input from the periphery. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to determine whether the NTS is involved in modulating processes contributing to memory formation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained in a one-trial inhibitory avoidance task (0.35 mA, 0.5 s footshock). Immediately or 2 h after training microinjections of 2% lidocaine hydrochloride (20 mg/kg) or a phosphate buffer solution were administered bilaterally into the NTS. Two other groups received microinjections of lidocaine into the fourth ventricle or cerebellum. On retention tests given 48 h after training the latency to reenter the dark compartment of the apparatus was recorded. The retention latencies of rats receiving bilateral microinjections of 0.5 microliter of lidocaine hydrochloride into the NTS were significantly shorter than those of animals given injections of a buffer solution (0.5 microliter), delayed injections of buffer or lidocaine, or control injections of lidocaine into the cerebellum or fourth ventricle. These findings suggest that memory storage processes are impaired by reversible inactivation of the NTS after training. The implications of these findings in terms of a possible role of the NTS in modulating brain processes involved in memory storage are discussed.
Performance of a Tethered Point Wave-Energy Absorber in Regular and Irregular Waves

The importance of the mooring system on the dynamic response of a point-absorber type ocean-wave energy converter (WEC) is investigated using a frequency-domain approach. In order to ensure the safety of WECs, careful consideration of the response and resonance frequencies in all motions must be evaluated, including the effects of the mooring system. In this study, a WEC floater with a closed, flat bottom is modeled as a rigid vertical cylinder tethered by elastic mooring lines. The WEC hydrodynamic added mass and damping are obtained using established potential-flow methods, with additional damping provided by the energy-extraction system. The results show that the response of the WEC, and the corresponding power takeoff, varies with the diameter-to-draft (D/T) ratio, mooring system stiffness, and mass distribution. For a given wave climate in Northern California, near San Francisco, the heave energy extraction is found to be best for a shallow WEC with a soft mooring system, compared to other systems that were examined. This result assumes a physical limit (cap) on the motion which is related to the significant wave height to draft ratio. Shallow draft designs, however, may experience excessive pitch motions and relatively larger viscous damping. In order to mitigate the pitch response, the pitch radius of gyration should be small and the center of mass should be low.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Potential risks of systemic imidacloprid to parasitoid natural enemies of a cerambycid attacking Eucalyptus

Abstract A community of insect herbivores has established on eucalyptus species in California following their introduction from Australia. A number of the species are under complete or partial biological control. A response to introduction of additional pest species into the complex has been the application of systemic insecticides to infested trees. Natural enemies that have been introduced to control the various pest species feed on the nectar of treated trees, and thus may be affected by these pesticides. In this study, Eucalyptus rudis trees were treated at label rates with the neonicotinoid systemic insecticide imidacloprid and nectar sampled at 5 months post-treatment during the spring bloom. The concentration of imidacloprid and its toxic metabolites in nectar was measured by ELISA at 660 ppb. Adults of the encyrtid egg parasitoid Avetianella longoi that were fed floral nectar collected from treated trees had significantly lower survival and reproductive fitness than adults fed nectar from untreated trees. In feeding bioassays, in which the adults were fed a range of concentrations of imidacloprid in sugar water, the LC50 for A. longoi was 212 ppb imidacloprid. Bioassays were also conducted with the braconid larval parasitoid, Syngaster lepidus. The LC50 for S. lepidus was 288 ppb imidacloprid. The insecticide appears to be concentrating in the nectar at higher levels than reported from other plant species and at concentrations exceeding the LC50 for two important parasitoids. If tree treatments become widespread as a result of continual introductions of new eucalypt herbivores, established biological control programs could be at significant risk.
Dairy farmer use of price risk management tools

Volatility in milk and feed prices can adversely affect dairy farm profitability. Many risk management tools are available for use by US dairy farmers. This research uses surveys of Michigan dairy farmers to examine the extent to which price risk management tools have been used, the farm and operator characteristics that explain the use of these tools, and reasons farmers have not used these tools. A 1999 survey was used to benchmark the degree to which dairy producers had used milk and feed price risk management instruments to compare with 2011 use rates. The surveys collected information about the farm characteristics such as herd size, farmland operated, business organization, and solvency position. Farm operator characteristics collected include age, education, and experience. Dairy farmer use of both milk and feed price risk management tools increased between 1999 and 2011. In 2011, herd size was positively related to the use of milk price risk management tools, whereas farms organized as a sole proprietorship were less likely to use them. Also in 2011, herd size and land operated were positively related to feed price risk management tools, whereas operator age was negatively related. Reasons why farmers had not used price risk management tools included basis risk, cost, lack of management time, cooperative membership, and lack of understanding. Conclusions include the need for educational programming on price risk management tools and a broader exploration of dairy farm risk management programs.
Scorpions, spiders and solpugids: predation and competition among distantly related taxa

Scorpions, spiders and solpugids are generalist predators on the same types of arthropod prey. However, these potential competitors also frequently eat one another (=intraguild predation). In a 29 mo. experiment, >6,000 scorpions were removed from 300 (10x10m) quadrats. Significantly more spiders (but not solpugids) occurred in removal versus control quadrats. Two alternate hypotheses potentially explain this result: exploitation competition for jointly exploited prey or intraguild predation. There was no evidence of exploitation competition: no differences existed between removal and control quadrats in prey abundance or spider size and reproductive characteristics. It appears that the release from predation pressure in areas from which scorpions were removed produced the observed increase in spider abundance. Current ecological theory does not fully apply to situations whereby species at the same trophic level interact as both predators and potential competitors.
LAR receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases in the development and maintenance of excitatory synapses

LAR receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases in the development and maintenance of excitatory synapses
A Variational Principle Governing the Generating Function for Conformations of Flexible Molecules

The generation of a random walk path under the action of an external potential field has been of interest for decades. The motivation derives largely from the prospect of incorporating the nonlocal excluded volume effect through such a potential in characterizing the statistical behavior of a long flexible polymer molecule. In working toward a continuum mean-field model, a central feature is a partial differential equation incorporating the influence of the potential and governing the generating function for the dependence of end to end separation distance of the molecule on its pathlength. The purpose here is to describe an approach in which the differential equation is recast as a global minimization of a functional. The variational approach is illustrated by an application to familiar configurations, the first of which is a molecule attached at one end to a noninteracting plane barrier in the presence of a uniform potential field. As a second illustration, the generating function is sought for a free molecule for the case in which conformations must be consistent with the excluded volume condition. This is accomplished by adapting a local form of the Flory approach to the phenomenon and extracting estimates of the expected end to end separation distance, the entropy and other statistical features of behavior. By means of the variational principle, the problem is recast into a form that admits a direct, noniterative analysis of conformations within the context of the self-consistent field theory.
Spring in Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia was an inspired choice as the site of the 2004 joint meeting of the ASEH and NCPH. A compact city, Victoria’s downtown, alone, is home to dozens of sites—from gardens to heritage houses and museums to the monumental Parliament Building—in which cultural and environmental histories are enmeshed. Vital elements among these projects include the cultural conservation efforts launched by the island’s First Nations peoples under the auspices of national and provincial institutions and in autonomous contexts. The wealth of sites and exhibitions is testament to the enthusiasm with which municipal, regional, and national pasts are debated, recalled, and conserved by both professional historians and the broader public. And the city’s 2002 “Heritage Strategic Plan” (www.city.victoria.bc.ca/common/ pdfs/heritage_strategicplan.pdf ) offers ample evidence of the serious and ongoing commitments that municipal authorities have made to incorporate conservation into development and planning goals. With such a varied palette of resources, it was indeed difficult to select sites for inclusion in this special conference city reviews section. The eleven reviews that follow are distinctive in
ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION OF MOLECULAR PHOTOELECTRONS.

The nonrelativistic differential cross sections for photo-ionization of molecules are derived and are worked out in detail for systems with random orientation. The more important contributions due to electric dipole, electric quadrupole, magnetic dipole, and two-photon (nonresonant) absorption have been included. Processes such as vibrationally induced auto-ionization have been discussed. The significance of these results with regard to the design and interpretation of photo-ionization experiments is also considered. The angular distribution of photoelectrons from ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ is calculated as an example.
Stationary Spatial Temperature Gradient in Gas Chromatography

Abstract Imposing an increasing stationary temperature gradient along the length of a gas chromatographic column is proposed as a technique for improving separation. Side outlet ports with control valves would allow the process to have the same advantages of programmed temperature gas chromatography without the disadvantages of temperature transients. For a simple model of gas chromatography the analysis provides expressions for temporal moments at any point along the column as a function of the temperature gradient. Reduced retention times, sharpening of peaks, and higher symmetry are predicted due to increasing the temperature gradient. The relationship to chromathermography is discussed.
An energy-driven approach to linkage unfolding

We present a new algorithm for unfolding planar polygonal linkages without self-intersection based on following the gradient flow of a "repulsive" energy function. This algorithm has several advantages over previous methods. (1) The output motion is represented explicitly and exactly as a piecewise-linear curve in angle space. As a consequence, an exact snapshot of the linkage at any time can be extracted from the output in strongly polynomial time (on a real RAM supporting arithmetic, radicals, and trigonometric functions). (2) Each linear step of the motion can be computed exactly in O(n2) time on a real RAM where n is the number of vertices. (3) We explicitly bound the number of linear steps (and hence the running time) as a polynomial in n and the ratio between the maximum edge length and the initial minimum distance between a vertex and an edge. (4) Our method is practical and easy to implement. We provide a publicly accessible Java applet [1] that implements the algorithm.
Percutaneous polymeric stents in porcine coronary arteries. Initial experience with polyethylene terephthalate stents.

BACKGROUND To test the feasibility of percutaneous deployment of intracoronary polymeric stents, a prototype polyethylene terephthalate (PET) stent and a catheter-based delivery system were developed. METHODS AND RESULTS Polymeric stents were deployed in the coronary arteries of 11 Yucatan swine: six stents were placed in the left anterior descending coronary artery, four stents were placed in the circumflex artery, and one stent was placed in the right coronary artery. Stent deployment was achieved by withdrawal of an outer delivery sheath, thus allowing the PET stent to self-expand to a preformed configuration. Two animals died during surgery, one during stent placement and the other several hours after implantation due to intracoronary thrombus formation. Two animals were electively sacrificed within 24 hours of stent implant to examine the adequacy of stent deployment within the coronary vessel. The remaining seven animals survived until the termination of the study 4-6 weeks later. Light microscopic examination of the stented vessels showed an extensive neointimal proliferative response with vessel occlusion in all animals who survived initial stent placement. There were two distinct types of histological responses to the PET stent--a chronic foreign body inflammatory response around the stent tines and a neointimal proliferative response in the center of the occluded vessel lumen. The histological response seen in the central area of the vessel was morphologically similar to that seen in patients with restenosis after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, whereas the morphological response seen at the periphery of the stent tine was similar to that exhibited by a chronic foreign body reaction and was not typical of that seen in a restenosis lesion. A ventricular aneurysm also developed in the area of myocardium that was previously supplied by the occluded vessel. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that percutaneous deployment of polymeric stents in the coronary arteries is technically feasible. The use of PET polymer was associated with an intense proliferative neointimal response that resulted in complete vessel occlusion. Histological examination of the stented segments of the vessel revealed no evidence that dissection of the vessel wall had occurred at the time of initial stent deployment. Although the PET polymer was of similar quality to that used in the manufacture of balloon angioplasty catheters, a toxic chemical or contaminant effect cannot be completely excluded as the stimulus to intimal proliferation. This finding may have relevance to the selection of materials for use as intravascular devices.
Integrating unicast and multicast traffic scheduling in a combined input- and output-queued packet-switching system

The problem of scheduling multicast traffic in packet switches is considered, and existing solutions based on purely input- or output-queued switches are reviewed. These are based exclusively on FIFO input queues, and are thus prone to head-of-line blocking. Furthermore, unicast and multicast traffic are typically queued and scheduled separately. A new, combined input- and output-queued approach is presented that (a) eliminates head-of-line blocking by applying virtual output queuing, and (b) handles unicast and multicast traffic in an integrated, fair way without sacrificing performance. Implementation as well as performance simulation results of the proposed architecture are presented to demonstrate its feasibility.
Variable Structure Observers for Nonlinear Models with Unbounded Noise and Measurement Uncertainties

This work extends the applicability of variable structure observers designed for nonlinear systems in two ways. First, it is proved that these observers using a boundary layer scheme can be applied to system models described by Ito differential equations resulting in almost sure and mean square exponential estimation error. Second, the use of variable structure observer is extended to nonlinear measurement models containing disturbance effects. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the application of these generalizations.
The genesis of Zelboraf: targeting mutant B-Raf in melanoma.

The protein kinase B-Raf is a critical component of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. An oncogenic B-Raf mutation that constitutively activates the kinase was identified in z50% of melanoma patients and in other cancers. A structure-guided drug discovery approach enabled the development of Zelboraf, a targeted inhibitor of oncogenic B-Raf. This drug has been used successfully in the clinic to treat metastatic melanoma patients harboring B-Raf mutations.
The radiation of a Hertzian dipole over a coated conductor

The idealized problems of an infinitesimal Hertzian dipole in and over a perfect dielectric coating a perfect conductor and an Abraham dipole lying on the conductor are treated. Unintegrated forms of the Hertz potentials are obtained both for electric and magnetic dipoles. Integrated far-zone forms of the potentials and fields are obtained for electric dipoles by means of asymptotic integrations. Far-zone radiation patterns are given in order to indicate the distortions of the fields and the magnitudes of the residue waves caused by the dielectric coatings. These show that such layers cause a very large increase in the relative field strength in the direction along the surface. It is proved that the power radiated by the dipole may be divided into two independent quantities-the power fed to radiation-type and that fed to surface or guided-type fields. For certain cases numerical results are given for the total power radiated and the relative powers fed to the two types of fields. Formulae are derived and illustrated with numerical examples of the radiation resistances of the dipoles and the attenuation coefficients of the surface modes due to finite conductivity of the ground plane.
Clinical reasoning: new challenges

This article is an introduction to a special issue of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics on clinical reasoning. Clinical reasoning encompasses the gamut of thinking about clinical medical practice—the evaluation and management of patients’ medical problems. Theories of clinical reasoning may be normative or descriptive; that is, they may offer recommendations on how clinicians ought to think or they may simply attempt to describe how clinicians actually do think. This article briefly surveys these approaches in order to show the complexity of clinical reasoning and the inadequacy of any one theory for capturing the full richness of clinical reasoning. The authors of this issue offer both normative and descriptive elements in their accounts. Topics discussed include the importance for clinical reasoning of tacit knowing, risk assessment, narrative and hermeneutics, wisdom, and virtue epistemology.
Two Techniques to Enhance Empirical Mode Decomposition for Power Quality Applications

Joint time-frequency characterization techniques are gaining importance in power quality studies of time-varying waveform distortions. In this context, the performance of the recently introduced empirical mode decomposition (EMD) as a second order filter is examined in this paper. The original EMD technique is incapable of separating components whose frequencies lie within the same octave. Using appropriate masking signals, the EMD can be made more discriminating for closely spaced frequency components. However, limitations still remain, and this paper discusses some aspects thereof. A frequency shifting technique is suggested to further enhance the discriminating property of EMD. Synthetic data similar to signals found in power quality studies are employed for demonstration purposes.
Arthus Reaction to Recombinant Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine

A severe, local, inflammatory, late-phase reaction accompanied by skin necrosis occurred after an infant was given an intramuscular injection of recombinant hepatitis B virus vaccine. The clinical course and appearance of the rash were typical of an Arthus reaction. Although not identical to this case, prior reported cases of complement-mediated reactions occurring after hepatitis B virus infection or vaccination provide theoretical support for this diagnosis.
Improving cache efficiency via resizing + remapping

In this paper we propose techniques to dynamically downsize or upsize a cache accompanied by cache set/line shutdown to produce efficient caches. Unlike previous approaches, resizing is accompanied by a non-uniform remapping of memory into the resized cache, thus avoiding misses to sets/lines that are shut off. The paper first provides an analysis into the causes of energy inefficiencies revealing a simple model for improving efficiency. Based on this model we propose the concept of "folding" - memory regions mapping to disjoint cache resources are combined to share cache sets producing a new placement function. Folding enables powering down cache sets at the expense of possibly increasing conflict misses. Effective folding heuristics can substantially increase energy efficiency at the expense of acceptable increase in execution time. We target the 12 cache because of its larger size and greater energy consumption. Our techniques increase cache energy efficiency by 20%, and reduce the EDP (energy delay product) by up to 45% with an IPC degradation of less than 4%. The results also indicate opportunity for improving cache efficiencies further via cooperative compiler interactions.
Elements of the Socratic method: I. Systematic questioning.

The Socratic method includes three primary elements: systematic questioning, inductive reasoning, and universal definitions. Although many psychotherapists allude to the Socratic method, most refer only to the questioning style and few describe the process in adequate detail. The present report describes the use of systematic questioning in terms of its format, content, and process. Finally, an attempt is made to provide an intermediate level of structure so as to facilitate a shaping process during the interview.
Software Reliability: The Stopping Rule Problem

When a new computer software package is developed and all obvious erros removed, a testing procedure is often put into effect to eliminate the remaining errors in the package. One common procedure is to try the package on a set of randomly chosen problems. We suppose that whenever a program encounters an error, a system failure results. At this point the software is inspected to determine and remove the error responsible for the failure. This goes on for some time and two problems of interest are 1) to estimate the error rate of the software at a given time t, and 2) to develop a stopping rule for determining when to discontinue the testing and declare that the software is ready for use. In this paper, a model for the above is proposed as an estimation and stopping rule procedure.
Semantic contours from inverse detectors

We study the challenging problem of localizing and classifying category-specific object contours in real world images. For this purpose, we present a simple yet effective method for combining generic object detectors with bottom-up contours to identify object contours. We also provide a principled way of combining information from different part detectors and across categories. In order to study the problem and evaluate quantitatively our approach, we present a dataset of semantic exterior boundaries on more than 20, 000 object instances belonging to 20 categories, using the images from the VOC2011 PASCAL challenge [7].
Unifying Electrostatic Mechanism for Receptor-Ligand Activity

A prior article in skeletal form proposed an electrostatic mechanism for receptor-ligand activity. The present review provides an elaboration, including supporting evidence. The fundamental aspect entails the presence of molecular electrostatic potential associated with ions and dipoles in the ligand. The ligand can be regarded as an electrical link that joins prevalent electrostatic fields present in the surrounding protein matrix. The exact role of these fields is speculative. One possibility is to function as conduits for electrons and radicals in cell signaling. There is increasing support for important participation of these species in signal transduction. There might also be a favorable influence on energetics involving the electron transfer process. A summary of receptor biology is also provided, including receptors for acetylcholine (nicotinic and muscarinic), GABA, adrenergic, and glutamate.
Among the Tribes of Shasta County

Empirical research reminds me of that old saw about the weather: everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it. Judging by his new book, Robert Ellickson must think the same thing. If legal academics read it and emulate its approach, even a little, the world-or at least that portion of it found between the covers of law reviews-will be a better place. In Order without Law, Ellickson builds on the research behind his article "Of Coase and Cattle,"' which struck me as a classic when it was published in 1986. The point of the article was that people do not bargain based on their initial legal entitlements (as the Coase Theorem predicts) but instead work out exchanges based on nonlegal social norms. This was an interesting point, but (like others) I never took Coase's parables too seriously as predictors of actual behavior, choosing instead to view them as thought experiments about more abstract principles. Instead, what I liked about the article was how Ellickson made his point: with real observations of real people engaged in real disputes. When I finished the article I had a sudden urge to check my fences and scrape the mud off my boots. Honestto-God fieldwork in a law review! In his new book, Ellickson goes far beyond "Coase and Cattle." First, he reports the results of inquiries in Shasta County, California, on disputes other than those stemming from cattle trespass, namely, joint maintenance of fence boundaries and cattle-related highway accidents. Second, he mixes in discussions of other empirical and quasi-empirical research on
Probabilistically valid stochastic extensions of deterministic models for systems with uncertainty

Models capable of capturing and reproducing the variability observed in experimental trials can be valuable for planning and control in the presence of uncertainty. This paper reports on a new data-driven methodology that extends deterministic models to a stochastic regime and offers probabilistic guarantees of model fidelity. From an acceptable deterministic model, a stochastic one is generated, capable of capturing and reproducing uncertain system-environment interactions at given levels of fidelity. The reported approach combines methodological elements from probabilistic model validation and randomized algorithms, to simultaneously quantify the fidelity of a model and tune the distribution of random parameters in the corresponding stochastic extension, in order to reproduce the variability observed experimentally in the physical process of interest. The approach can be applied to an array of physical processes, the models of which may come in different forms, including differential equations; we demonstrate this point by considering examples from the areas of miniature legged robots and aerial vehicles.
Histone methyltransferases regulating rRNA gene dose and dosage control in Arabidopsis

Eukaryotes have hundreds of nearly identical 45S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, each encoding the 18S, 5.8S, and 25S catalytic rRNAs. Because cellular demands for ribosomes and protein synthesis vary during development, the number of active rRNA genes is subject to dosage control. In genetic hybrids, one manifestation of dosage control is nucleolar dominance, an epigenetic phenomenon in which the rRNA genes of one progenitor are repressed. For instance, in Arabidopsis suecica, the allotetraploid hybrid of Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis arenosa, the A. thaliana-derived rRNA genes are selectively silenced. An analogous phenomenon occurs in nonhybrid A. thaliana, in which specific classes of rRNA gene variants are inactivated. An RNA-mediated knockdown screen identified SUVR4 {SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION 3-9 [SU(VAR)3-9]-RELATED 4} as a histone H3 Lys 9 (H3K9) methyltransferase required for nucleolar dominance in A. suecica. H3K9 methyltransferases are also required for variant-specific silencing in A. thaliana, but SUVH5 [SU(VAR)3-9 HOMOLOG 5] and SUVH6, rather than SUVR4, are the key activities in this genomic context. Mutations disrupting the H3K27 methyltransferases ATXR5 or ATXR6 affect which rRNA gene variants are expressed or silenced, and in atxr5 atxr6 double mutants, dominance relationships among variants are reversed relative to wild type. Interestingly, these changes in gene expression are accompanied by changes in the relative abundance of the rRNA gene variants at the DNA level, including overreplication of the normally silenced class and decreased abundance of the normally dominant class. Collectively, our results indicate that histone methylation can affect both the doses of different variants and their differential silencing through the choice mechanisms that achieve dosage control.
Designing and Understanding Adaptive Group Behavior

This article proposes the concept of basis behaviors as ubiquitous general building blocks for synthesizing artificial group behavior in multiagent systems and for analyzing group behavior in nature. We demonstrate the concept through examples implemented both in simulation and on a group of physical mobile robots. The basis behavior set we propose, consisting of avoidance, safe-wandering, following, aggregation, dispersion, and homing, is constructed from behaviors commonly observed in a variety of species in nature. The proposed behaviors are manifested spatially but have an effect on more abstract modes of interaction, including the exchange of information and cooperation. We demonstrate how basis behaviors can be combined into higher-level group behaviors commonly observed across species. The combination mechanisms we propose are useful for synthesizing a variety of new group behaviors, as well as for analyzing naturally occurring ones.
An upper limit for ice in Shackleton crater as revealed by LRO Mini‐RF orbital radar

[1] Although diverse measurements have indicated H+, OH−, or H2O species in the lunar polar regions, pinpointing its location, form, and abundance in specific reservoirs has proven elusive. Here we report on the first orbital radar measurements of Shackleton crater near the lunar south pole. Mini-RF observations indicate a patchy, heterogeneous enhancement in CPR (circular polarization ratio) on the crater walls whose strength decreases with depth toward the crater floor, a result that is most consistent with a roughness effect due to less mature regolith present on the crater wall slopes. However, the results do not rule out a modest ice contribution, and an upper limit of ∼5–10 wt% H2O ice (up to 30 vol.%) present in the uppermost meter of regolith is also consistent with the observations.
Sunflower Seed Meal as a Replacement for Soybean Meal Protein in Laying Hen Rations

Abstract Sunflower seed meal (SSM) processed from oilseed varieties was evaluated as a replacement for soybean meal (SBM) in corn-SBM rations for laying hens. Two experiments were conducted in which the major variables were commercial source of SSM, replacement level of SSM and supplemental lysine. Generally speaking, SSM replaced 50% of the SBM protein without adversely affecting hen performance. However, 100% replacement of SBM protein with SSM resulted in decreased egg production and feed efficiency. Although the two SSM’s generally produced similar effects, the SSM of highest fiber content resulted in increased feed consumption when used at the 100% replacement level in mash rations. Lysine supplementation did not consistently improve utilization of the diets used. Characteristic egg shell stains that developed after egg laying when SSM was used in mash rations were markedly reduced when similar rations were fed in crumble form. A phenolic compound (chlorogenic acid) present in sunflower seeds apparently is responsible for these stains. Metabolizable energy values of 2,205 and 2,139 kcal./kg. (D. M. basis) were obtained for the two SSM’s used in this study.
Highly undersampled MRI using adaptive sparse representations

Compressed sensing (CS) exploits the sparsity of MR images to enable accurate reconstruction from undersampled k-space data. Recent CS methods have employed analytical sparsifying transforms such as wavelets and finite differences. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for adaptively learning the sparsifying transform (dictionary), and reconstructing the image simultaneously from highly undersampled k-space data. The sparsity is enforced on overlapping image patches. The proposed alternating reconstruction algorithm learns the sparsifying dictionary, and uses it to remove aliasing and noise in one step, and subsequently restores and fills-in the k-space data in the other step. Experimental results demonstrate dramatic improvements in reconstruction error using the proposed adaptive dictionary as compared to previous CS methods.
Social Determinants of Health Among African-American Men

Abstract The health disparities among African–American men are staggering when compared to other racial, ethnic, and gender groups in the United States. While there have been considerable efforts to eliminate health disparities in recent years, disparity elimination efforts have often focused on changing health behavior with regard to African–American men, and grave health disparities continue to exist among this population. This article argues that a consideration of the social determinants of health among African–American men is long overdue. It highlights the serious health disparities among this population, and considers the social determinants of health of African–American men in relation to health status, health behavior, and health care. Finally, suggestions are offered for addressing the social determinants of health among African–American men.
Performance, Text, and the History of Criticism

I argue that the study of ancient criticism is unduly narrow unless it combines an awareness of the materiality of culture—of the forms in which literary texts were produced, circulated, stored up, and accessed—with an appreciation for how strongly performance traditions could shape the reception and valuation of such texts. To illustrate, I analyze the 25th chapter of Aristotle’s Poetics to show that the theory behind “Problems and Solutions” was less significant culturally than the many-formed game of using poets in ethical debate. Also included is a brief overview of work since Vol. 1 of the Cambridge History of Literary Criticism (edited by George Kennedy in 1989) that fruitfully confronts the idea of the work of art as text with the reality of the work of art as performance.
KGF alters gene expression in human airway epithelia: potential regulation of the inflammatory response.

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) regulates several functions in adult and developing lung epithelia; it causes proliferation, stimulates secretion of fluid and electrolytes, enhances repair, and ma...
Association of Cervical Effacement With the Rate of Cervical Change in Labor Among Nulliparous Women.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the association of cervical effacement with the rate of intrapartum cervical change among nulliparous women.METHODS:We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective trial of intrapartum fetal pulse oximetry. For women who had vaginal deliveries, interval-censored regression was
Incidence and Prognostic Significance of Depressive Symptoms in Peripheral Artery Disease

Background We compared the incidence of depression, defined by a Geriatric Depression Score (GDS) ≥6, between people with versus without peripheral artery disease (PAD). We determined whether depressive symptoms were associated with increased mortality in people with and without PAD. Methods and Results Nine hundred and fifty‐one PAD patients and 478 non‐PAD patients were recruited from Chicago medical centers and followed prospectively. At baseline and annually, participants completed the GDS (0–15 scale, score ≥6=depression) and 6‐minute walk. Cause of death was confirmed with death certificates. The prevalence of a GDS ≥6 at baseline was 186/951 (19.6%) among PAD versus 63/478 (13.2%) among non‐PAD participants ( P =0.003). During a mean follow‐up of 2.7±1.2 years, 122/712 (17.1%) of participants with PAD versus 51/403 (12.7%) without PAD developed a GDS ≥6 ( P =0.047). Adjusting for age, sex, race, comorbidities, and other confounders, PAD participants had an increased rate of developing a GDS ≥6 compared to non‐PAD participants (hazard ratio=1.54 (95% CI=1.05–2.25, P =0.026). This association was not statistically significant after adjusting for 6‐minute walk ( P =0.258). Among PAD participants, a baseline GDS ≥6 was associated with increased all‐cause mortality, adjusting for confounders (hazard ratio=1.57, 95% CI=1.12–2.21, P =0.009). This association was not significant after adjusting for 6‐minute walk ( P =0.224). Conclusions People with PAD have a higher incidence of depressive symptoms than people without PAD. In PAD, depressive symptoms are associated with increased all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. These associations are explained in part by poorer 6‐minute walk among people with PAD and among depressed people with PAD, respectively.
Preferential activity of dentate neurons during limb movements guided by vision

1. We recorded the activity of dentate neurons while monkeys (n = 2) performed sequential pointing movements under two task conditions: visually guided and remembered. For both conditions, a monkey faced a panel with five touch pads. The animal began a trial by placing his right hand on a hold key in front of him. In the Remembered Sequence Task, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) over three touch pads were illuminated in a sequence as an instruction to the monkey. At the end of a variable instruction period, an auditory "Go" signal told the monkey to release the hold key and press the touch pads according to the instructed sequence. In the Tracking Task, the monkey was required to press three touch pads immediately after the LED over each of them was illuminated. 2. We recorded from 172 neurons in the dentate that showed task-related changes in activity during the reaction time (RT) period (i.e., the interval between the onset of the Go signal and the release of the hold key). Approximately 40% of these neurons were considered task-dependent because they displayed exclusive or enhanced (> +/- 50%) changes in peak activity during the RT period for one of the two task conditions. Almost 80% of the task-dependent neurons displayed exclusive or enhanced activity changes during the Tracking Task. Many of these neurons were located ventral and lateral to dentate neurons, which were not task-dependent. 3. These results suggest that a portion of the dentate nucleus is preferentially involved in the generation and/or guidance of movement based on visual cues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
ANTIBODY PRODUCTION IN THE GUINEA PIG TO HOMOLOGOUS UVEA.

SummaryThe immune response of guinea pigs to homologous uvea was studied, using various periods of immunization and the complement fixation test for detection of antibody. Injections over relatively long periods of time with uveal emulsions led to both antibody production and ocular lesions. Demonstrable antibody and ocular lesions were not found on short term immunization. The antigen herein described was both organ and species specific, in contrast to other uveal organ specific antigens previously described which are heterogenetic.
Compassion and Public Covenant: Christian Faith in Public Life

How is a public covenant possible? The resources currently avail able for constructing "a public covenant"1 tend to polarize into two camps: liberal and communitarian. "On the one side," notes William Rehg, "are those who champion the priority of the right, or justice, for determining ethical norms." Defending this turf are neo-Kantians such as John Rawls, William Galston, and Harlan Beckley. "On the other side," adds Rehg, "stand those for whom more substantive notions of good [or virtue] or community are ethically prior,"2 turf guarded by the likes of Alasdair Maclntyre, Michael Sandel, and Stanley Hauerwas. The ensuing battle is often formulated in terms of justice versus virtue, individual versus community. It is this essay's objective to show that, although on the surface these two traditions tend to polarize, justice and virtue are in fact morally and logically connected by the common experience of compassion. Quite a number of efforts dedicated to mediating this liberal-com munitarian conflict assume that by adjusting one claim or another a compromise can be struck.3 These endeavors are for the most part
HCV among Male Injection Drug Users and their Female Partners in Almaty, Kazakhstan: Implications for HCV Treatment and Prevention

HCV infection is a serious concern among people who inject drugs. Despite imposing a major disease burden in countries with high rates of injection drug use such as Kazakhstan, other Central Asian and East Asian countries, Eastern Europe, and Russia, HCV remains an understudied issue. This study includes 728 individuals (364 couples) from Almaty, Kazakhstan, where at least one member of the dyad reported recent injection drug use. Participants were recruited to participate in a couple-based HIV prevention study. We examine the prevalence of HCV and co-infections between HCV and HIV, correlates of HCV, and the association between HCV prevalence and sexual behaviors after adjusting for non-injection illicit drug use, unsafe injection behaviors, and socio-demographic characteristics. Of the total sample, 90.2% of people who had ever injected drugs were diagnosed HCV positive and 15.5% of those who did not report injecting drugs were HCV positive. The prevalence of HIV and HCV co-infection among the total sample was 20.7%. In the multivariate analysis, having sex while high on alcohol and/or drugs was associated with HCV after adjusting for unsafe injection practices, non-injection drug use, and socio-demographic characteristics (PR=1.20; 95% CI=1.04, 1.39). The high rates of HCV and co-infection of HIV and HCV found in the study underscore the need for attention to HCV testing and treatment among people who inject drugs in Kazakhstan and their sex partners. Keywords: HCV, Injection drug use, Central Asia, HIV, Kazakhstan.
The Effects of Age on Player Behavior in Educational Games

Casual games attract a diverse group of players with varied needs and interests. In order to effectively tailor games to specific audiences, designers must consider the effects of demographics on player behavior. This is particularly important when developing educational games for children, since research shows that they have different design needs than adults. In this work, we develop in-depth metrics to capture demographic differences in player behavior in two educational games, Refraction and Treefrog Treasure. To learn about the effects of age on behavior, we use these metrics to analyze two player populations, children on the educational website BrainPOP and adults of the popular Flash website Kongregate. We show that BrainPOP players make more mathematical mistakes, display less strategic behavior, and are less likely to collect optional rewards than Kongregate players. Given these results, we present design suggestions for casual games that target children.
Fractures and fracture-dislocations of the ankle.

Accurate diagnosis and proper choice of treatment in fractures and fracture-dislocations of the ankle require a knowledge of the mechanisms of injury.Good x-rays, centered over the joint in true anteroposterior and lateral projections, are also prerequisites to accurate diagnosis.Closed methods of treatment may be used in many cases, but certain fractures require open reduction. Surgery must be precise, and, to allow the indicated correction to be made, x-rays should be taken in the operating room before the wound is closed.