cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to Establish an Urban Agriculture Ordinance

While the desire to implement urban agriculture projects is growing in popularity, there is little information available to help Extension agents and interested citizens fully understand how to implement urban agriculture in their community. This new 11-page document provides an overview of key information required to establish an urban agriculture ordinance. Case studies from urban agriculture initiatives in Florida provide real-world examples of the required activities, potential challenges, and beneficial partners for implementing these initiatives. Resources related to the case studies and additional urban agriculture resources can be found at the end of the document, so that readers can find further information specific to their interests and needs. Written by Candace A. Spencer, Catherine G. Campbell, Anna Prizzia, and Liz Felter, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1327
Electromechanical coupling in the hyperpolarization-activated K + channel KAT1

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels coordinate electrical signalling and control cell volume by gating in response to membrane depolarization or hyperpolarization. However, although voltage-sensing domains transduce transmembrane electric field changes by a common mechanism involving the outward or inward translocation of gating charges1-3, the general determinants of channel gating polarity remain poorly understood4. Here we suggest a molecular mechanism for electromechanical coupling and gating polarity in non-domain-swapped Kv channels on the basis of the cryo-electron microscopy structure of KAT1, the hyperpolarization-activated Kv channel from Arabidopsis thaliana. KAT1 displays a depolarized voltage sensor, which interacts with a closed pore domain directly via two interfaces and indirectly via an intercalated phospholipid. Functional evaluation of KAT1 structure-guided mutants at the sensor-pore interfaces suggests a mechanism in which direct interaction between the sensor and the C-linker hairpin in the adjacent pore subunit is the primary determinant of gating polarity. We suggest that an inward motion of the S4 sensor helix of approximately 5-7 A can underlie a direct-coupling mechanism, driving a conformational reorientation of the C-linker and ultimately opening the activation gate formed by the S6 intracellular bundle. This direct-coupling mechanism contrasts with allosteric mechanisms proposed for hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels5, and may represent an unexpected link between depolarization- and hyperpolarization-activated channels.
Pushing the envelope: The who, what, when, and why of critical consciousness.

Abstract Deep-seated structural racism in the U.S. has been thrown into bold relief by the racially disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 and a series of highly visible police murders of Black Americans. Longstanding and intergenerational economic inequalities have been laid bare by the ensuing economic recession. This special issue's focus on how people critique, challenge, negotiate and change inequities is therefore particularly (and, unfortunately) relevant and timely. These three papers approach critical consciousness from three distinct angles. In this commentary, I will offer several points of praise for these three papers, along with a few suggestions on ways that the authors' lines of thinking could be extended or more nuanced. I will identify a few themes that cut across these three papers: (1) the importance of focusing on critical action, (2) how these papers advance our thinking on how, when, and for whom CC develops, with specific attention paid to the social identities, life phases, and events that impact CC, and (3) a deepening of our understanding of the antecedents and consequences of CC. In reviewing these three papers, I consider how each of them adds to the collective conversation about the ways that we might recognize, challenge, and work to change marginalizing systems and transform inequity to create a more just world.
Extended HPV Genotyping to Compare HPV Type Distribution in Self- and Provider-Collected Samples for Cervical Cancer Screening.

Background: Primary high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) testing of self-collected cervico-vaginal swabs could increase cervical cancer screening coverage, although triage strategies are needed to reduce unnecessary colposcopies. We evaluated the use of extended hr-HPV genotyping of self-collected samples for cervical cancer screening. Methods: We recruited women ages 25–65 years at two colposcopy clinics in North Carolina between November 2016 and January 2019, and obtained self-collected cervico-vaginal samples, provider-collected cervical samples, and cervical biopsies from all enrolled women. Self- and provider-collected samples were tested for 14 hr-HPV genotypes using the Onclarity Assay (Becton Dickinson). We calculated hr-HPV genotype–specific prevalence and assessed agreement between results in self- and provider-collected samples. We ranked the hr-HPV genotypes according to their positive predictive value (PPV) for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 2 or higher (CIN2+). Results: A total of 314 women participated (median age, 36 years); 85 women (27%) had CIN2+. More women tested positive for any hr-HPV on self-collected (76%) than on provider-collected samples (70%; P = 0.009) with type-specific agreement ranging from substantial to almost perfect. HPV-16 was the most common genotype in self-collected (27%) and provider-collected samples (20%), and HPV-16 prevalence was higher in self- than provider-collected samples (P Conclusions: Overall sensitivity for CIN2+ detection was similar for both sample types, but the higher HPV-16 prevalence in self-collected samples could result in increased colposcopy referral rates. Impact: Additional molecular markers might be helpful to improve the triage of women who are hr-HPV positive on self-collected samples.
A Nonsmooth Approach to Controller Synthesis for Boolean Specifications

Robotic systems have been proposed as a solution to a wide array of problems, from autonomous warehousing to precision agriculture. Yet these systems typically require satisfaction of multiple constraints, such as collision avoidance and connectivity maintenance, while completing their primary objectives. Many such problems may be decomposed into stability and invariance criteria (e.g., monitor crop patches while avoiding collisions), and this article utilizes Lyapunov and barrier functions to encode stability and invariance, respectively. Barrier functions provide constraint-satisfaction guarantees, and prior results have established a Boolean composition and controller-synthesis framework for these objects via nonsmooth analysis. However, this past work has yet to address Boolean composition of Lyapunov functions directly and does not apply to all Boolean expressions. This article resolves these issues by providing a general method to encode Boolean expressions of Lyapunov or barrier functions. Moreover, this article develops an associated controller-synthesis algorithm that yields discontinuous yet validating controllers with respect to these Boolean expressions. Experimental results show the efficacy of this article in a precision-agriculture scenario, where a robot swarm must visit crop patches while avoiding collisions.
Structure vs. Laissez-Faire

The authors describe their experience with an innovative model of research training programs, including the Master of Science in Psychiatry Program. The Master of Science in Psychiatry program provides research trainees—medical students, residents, fellows, and possibly junior faculty—with an opportunity to enroll in research-oriented classes and seminars, to realize their own research project under the guidance of research mentors, and finalize it with a thesis defense. The experience with this approach has been successful so far. The authors suggest that their programs may provide a template for other academic departments and that this could be one of the models for preparation of the next generation of psychiatric researchers.
The spleen: “epicenter” in malaria infection and immunity

The spleen is a complex secondary lymphoid organ that plays a crucial role in controlling blood-stage infection with Plasmodium parasites. It is tasked with sensing and removing parasitized RBCs, erythropoiesis, the activation and differentiation of adaptive immune cells, and the development of protective immunity, all in the face of an intense inflammatory environment. This paper describes how these processes are regulated following infection and recognizes the gaps in our current knowledge, highlighting recent insights from human infections and mouse models.
The Association between Medication Experiences and Beliefs and Low Medication Adherence in Patients with Chronic Disease from Two Different Societies: The USA and the Sultanate of Oman

This cross-sectional study aimed to describe the association between medication experiences and beliefs and self-reported medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases in two different samples from two different societies: the USA and the Sultanate of Oman. The Morisky Medication Adherence Score (MMAS-8) questionnaire was used to measure medication adherence. Three items (statements) were used for measuring medication experiences and beliefs variable on a four-point Likert scale adapted from the 2015 National Consumer Survey of the Medication Experience and Pharmacists' Role (NCSMEP however, medication adherence was higher in Oman (30%) than in the United States (9%) for these participants. In total, 60% of the U.S. and 29% of Omani participants believed that "medicines are a burden"; however, about 60-65% of participants in both countries were in the low medication adherence group. Additionally, 63% of the U.S. and 83% of the Omani participants disagreed that "medicines do more harm than good"; however, medication adherence in the U.S. (15%) was higher than in Oman (8%). In conclusion, a decrease in low medication adherence was observed with positive medication experiences and beliefs. However, the impacts of medication experiences and beliefs on low medication adherence rates were different from one population to another. The "medication burden" statement resulted in the highest percentage of difference in terms of low medication adherence rates between those who agree and those who disagree in the U.S. group (20%), whereas the "medicines are a life-saver" statement resulted in a greater difference in the Omani group (30%). Proper communication between patients and healthcare providers based on the patient's medication experiences and beliefs will substantially improve medication adherence.
Genetic and epigenetic regulation of the non-muscle myosin light chain kinase isoform by lung inflammatory factors and mechanical stress.

Rationale The myosin light chain kinase gene, MYLK, encodes three proteins via unique promoters, including the non-muscle isoform of myosin light chain kinase (nmMLCK), a cytoskeletal protein centrally involved in regulation of vascular integrity. As MYLK coding SNPs are associated with severe inflammatory disorders (asthma, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)), we explored clinically relevant inflammatory stimuli and promoter SNPs in nmMLCK promoter regulation. Methods Full-length or serially deleted MYLK luciferase reporter promoter activities were measured in human lung endothelial cells (ECs). SNP-containing non-muscle MYLK (nmMYLK) DNA fragments were generated and nmMYLK promoter binding by transcription factors (TFs) detected by protein-DNA electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Promoter demethylation was evaluated by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza). A preclinical mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) was utilized for nmMLCK validation. Results Lung EC levels of nmMLCK were significantly increased in LPS-challenged mice and LPS, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), 18% cyclic stretch (CS) and 5-Aza each significantly up-regulated EC nmMYLK promoter activities. EC exposure to FG-4592, a prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor that increases hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) expression, increased nmMYLK promoter activity, confirmed by HIF1α/HIF2α silencing. nmMYLK promoter deletion studies identified distal inhibitory and proximal enhancing promoter regions as well as mechanical stretch-, LPS- and TNFα-inducible regions. Insertion of ARDS-associated SNPs (rs2700408, rs11714297) significantly increased nmMYLK promoter activity via increased transcription binding (glial cells missing homolog 1 (GCM1) and intestine-specific homeobox (ISX), respectively). Finally, the MYLK rs78755744 SNP (-261G/A), residing within a nmMYLK CpG island, significantly attenuated 5-Aza-induced promoter activity. Conclusion These findings indicate nmMYLK transcriptional regulation by clinically relevant inflammatory factors and ARDS-associated nmMYLK promoter variants are consistent with nmMLCK as a therapeutic target in severe inflammatory disorders.
Characteristics of diplopia as the presenting symptom to an ocular emergency room

The medical records of 350 patients (median age, 59 years) who presented emergently at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from 2014 to 2019 for evaluation of diplopia were reviewed retrospectively. Diplopia was binocular in 305 cases (median duration, 5 days). Strabismus was present in 301 patients (horizontal in 49.2% of cases). The most common cause of binocular diplopia was cranial nerve palsy: of the 208 cases, 134 (64%) were microvascular. Nearly half of the neuroimaging scans obtained (102/205) were abnormal. Ten patients with abnormal scans required urgent neurosurgical evaluation.
Observations of Cataclysmic Variables With the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer

Observations at short wavelengths probe the innermost region of cataclysmic variables (CVs), at the zone of interaction between the accretion flow or disk and the boundary layer and/or white dwarf. We present new spectra of CVs obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer.
Influencing consumers' selection of domestic versus imported products: Implications for marketing based on a model of helping behavior

Recent marketing campaigns have urged American consumers to “Buy American.” Marketers can improve the success of their campaigns if they understand the network of influences that lead American consumers to help threatened domestic workers. Consumers’ cooperation in purchasing domestic products may be viewed as a form of help for American workers whose jobs are threatened by the success of imported products. This study presents a model designed to explain consumers’ willingness to help these workers. Survey data were subjected to structural equation analysis to test the model. Results confirmed willingness to help is influenced by the salience of the problem, identification with the workers, inequity of the situation, felt similarity with the workers, empathy with the workers, and the costs of helping. These findings suggest ways to market the Buy American theme.
Pharmacy applications of the transtheoretical model in smoking cessation

The transtheoretical model for intentional behavior change is described, and pharmacists' use of the model in smoking-cessation interventions is discussed. This model combines elements of theories used in psychotherapy and behavior modification. In the model are five stages (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance) that describe when behavior change occurs. To be most effective, a health care provider's interventions should match the patient's stage of change. The model also includes 10 cognitive and behavioral processes that describe how change occurs while a person is moving among the stages. The processes (social liberation, dramatic relief, helping relationships, consciousness-raising, environmental reevaluation, reinforcement management, self-reevaluation, stimulus control, counterconditioning, and self-liberation) define change in terms of the coping strategies used. Before intervening, the pharmacist needs to ask questions about the patient's behavior that will identify the stage. If smokers in the precontemplation stage are receiving medications for chronic diseases, pharmacists can make them aware of the negative effects of smoking on their specific conditions. People in the contemplation stage are open to education about smoking and health, and those in the preparation stage are ready to set goals and choose methods for cessation. Smokers in the action stage are attempting to quit. Pharmacists can offer support, reinforcement, and guidance to people in the action and maintenance stages. Pharmacists can use the transtheoretical model to categorize patients by their stage of change and then devise and deliver appropriate and individualized interventions.
The role of the L3T4 molecule in mitogen and antigen-activated signal transduction

Abstract We investigated the role of the L3T4 molecule in mitogen and antigen-initiated signal transduction in the L3T4(+) murine T cell hybridoma, 3DT52.5.9 and an L3T4(−) variant, 3DT52.5.24. Both Concanavalin A (Con A) and specific antigen stimulated increases in cytosolic-free calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ), phosphatidylinositol turnover, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in both cell lines. About 85% of the stimulated rise in [Ca 2+ ] i was from an extracellular source. Anti-L3T4 monoclonal antibody (MAb) inhibited 90% of antigen-and 50% of Con A-stimulated increases in [Ca 2+ ] i and IL-2 production but had no effect on the ability of either activation signal to stimulate phosphatidylinositol turnover in the parent L3T4(+) cells. Stimulus-response coupling in the L3T4(−) cells was unaffected by the MAb. The anti-L3T4-insensitive increase in [Ca 2+ ] i induced by Con A was inhibited by EGTA, suggesting that this mitogen also stimulated an influx of Ca 2+ via an additional transport mechanism distinct from that stimulated by antigen. The fact that anti-L3T4 antibodies inhibit antigen and Con A-stimulated Ca 2+ transport and IL-2 production without affecting phosphatidylinositol turnover suggests that L3T4 may play a critical role in modulating the activation of the T cell receptor-associated Ca 2+ transporter in T cell stimulus-response coupling.
Functional Development of Rumen Mucosa. I. Absorptive Ability

Summary Two Holstein calves were fed milk, alfalfa hay, and starter (MHG); two received milk only (M). Absorption of acetic acid was measured from a test solution, pH 6.6, introduced into the emptied, fistulated rumen. Mean maximum absorption rates (milligrams of acid/100ml of solution per hour) at 1, 4, 8, and 13 wk of age, respectively, were 30, 163, 179, and 402 for MHG calves and 21, 26, 22, and 22 for M calves. One calf was switched at 19 wk of age from M to MHG; absorption rates at 16, 21, 23, 27, and 36 wk of age, respectively, were 21, 48, 142, 191, and 248. Absorption did not increase in a calf on M up to 34 wk of age. Absorption was decreased in MHG calves by replacing normal rumen contents with saline prior to the absorption study. Employing an additional calf (MHG) to study this effect more extensively, it was found that replacement of saline with a solution of volatile fatty acids (VFA) reduced the depression. Absorption was slower from solutions at pH 7.5–8.0 than from solutions at pH 5.0–5.5 for calves on MHG and M. The absorption rate of VFA decreased as their chain length decreased at acid pH values for calves on MHG and M; at alkaline pH, the results were less conclusive, but a decrease with decreasing chain length also was indicated. Part of the association between absorptive ability and rumen structure probably represents a mutual dependence of these two aspects of rumen development on the metabolic activity of the mucosa.
Factors influencing the decision to administer psychoeducational tests

Ninety-nine NASP members participated in a study designed to investigate bias in the early stages of the referral process (i.e., in the decision to administer psychological tests). Each school psychologist received one of eight case studies, which described a child referred for academic learning problems. The case studies included typical referral information and varied student race (Black, White), socioeconomic status (higher, lower), and group achievement test scores (average, below average). The decision to administer individual psychoeducational tests was not influenced by the student's race or socioeconomic status. School psychologists were influenced by the group achievement test data. Students who showed lower achievement test results were more likely to be recommended for testing than were those who showed average performance levels. Thus, these school psychologists were not biased by knowledge of a child's race or socioeconomic status, but were influenced by instructionally relevant data (i.e., achievement test scores). In addition, when objective test data indicated average achievement levels, the psychologists did not generally recommend subsequent individual psychoeducational testing. The findings suggested that, under certain conditions, testing may not automatically follow receipt of a referral.
Access to neurosurgical care: a critical component of the manpower equation.

Abstract In discussions of physician manpower, “maldistribution” often is not defined except in terms of vague socioeconomic theories. A process for defining it in terms of patient access to physicians utilizing conditions sentinel to specialty practice is presented. While only 0.7% of the United States population does not have adequate access to a neurosurgeon, in some states as much as 30% of the population is not served.
Sphere-boundary edge and sphere-boundary corner contacts model in DDA for simulating particulate media in 3-D

In modelling particulate media, such as soils, using 3-D DDA, there are four types of contacts: sphere to sphere, sphere to boundary face, sphere to boundary edge, and sphere to boundary corner contacts. The first two were studied by the authors in a previous work (Beyabanaki and Bagtzoglou 2012). In this paper, we present a new contact model for sphere-boundary edge and sphere-boundary corner contacts in sphere-based 3-D DDA. The model includes a new algorithm to search for contacts, detect the contact types and calculate contact points. Moreover, formulas for contact sub-matrices are derived. The proposed contact model has been implemented into a sphere-based 3-D DDA program and three test cases are studied in order to verify the workability of the new contact model. The numerical results obtained demonstrate the capability of the model to deal with sphere-boundary interaction in particulate media.
Prediction of occlusion by measurements of the deciduous dentition.

Abstract Dental characteristics of the deciduous dentitions of forty-eight children were used to predict the occlusion of the same children in the permanent dentition. The first portion of this study determined the most useful occlusal characteristics for prediction; the second portion tested the validity of the results on a different sample. The study casts of the deciduous and permanent dentitions of each person were classified as either acceptable occlusion or malocclusion, resulting in the following four groups: (1) acceptable in the deciduous and permanent dentitions; (2) malocclusion in the deciduous and permanent dentitions; (3) malocclusion in the deciduous dentition and acceptable in the permanent dentition; (4) acceptable in the deciduous dentition and malocclusion in the permanent dentition. Tooth size and arch width in the deciduous dentition were compared among the four groups. It was found that malocclusion in the deciduous and permanent dentitions tend to have narrower deciduous dental arches. Furthermore, acceptable occlusions in the deciduous and permanent dentitions tend to have smaller deciduous teeth. We hypothesized that the group with malocclusion in the deciduous and permanent dentitions contains the children with genetically determined malocclusion in the permanent dentition. Statistical procedures indicated that measurements of deciduous arch width and tooth size could be used to predict the occlusion in the permanent dentitions of 82 per cent of the sample. (Children grouped as follows: A, malocclusion in the deciduous and permanent dentitions; B, Groups 1, 3, and 4 mentioned above.) This finding suggested that if the sample was representative of the population, a large number of children who were going to have malocclusion resulting from tooth- and arch-size discrepancies could be identified from four measurements at as early as 3 or 4 years of age. The validity of this result was tested on a different sample of forty-nine children, and in 65.3 per cent of the children malocclusion or acceptable occlusion in the permanent dentition was predicted correctly. While the use of powerful statistical procedures resulted in findings statistically significant in both experiments, they were not sufficiently strong to be clinically valid.
JKarelRobot: a case study in supporting levels of cognitive development in the computer science curriculum

We introduce a new software tool, JKarelRobot, for supporting an Inside/Out pedagogy in introductory programming courses. Extending the original conception of "Karel the Robot", with Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives as a guiding principle, we have provided a mechanism for designing exercises that are cognitively appropriate to the developmental levels of our students. JKarelRobot is platform independent (written in Java) and language/paradigm independent, supporting Pascal, Java, and Lisp style environments.
Comparison of Inversion Layer Electron Transport of Lightly Doped 4H and 6H SiC MOSFETs

nversion layers of 4H and 6H Silicon carbide based MOS devices are characterized by Gated Hall measurements to determine the trap density close to the conduction band edge and the main scattering mechanisms that limit the mobility. MOS gated Hall structures were fabricated on 4H SiC polytype with p-type doping of 5X1015cm-3 and 2X1017cm-3. MOS Gated Hall structures were also fabricated on 6H SiC polytype with p-type doping of 7.5X1015cm-3. The gate oxide was grown thermally with N2O as a precursor followed by a NO post oxidation anneal. The inversion layer Hall mobility on the 6H SiC MOSFET sample decreased with increasing temperature from room temperature to 423K, while on the 4H SiC MOSFET samples the inversion layer mobility increased slowly. Approximately 50% of the total charge density at the interface of both 6H and 4H SiC MOSFETs was found to be trapped charge. The dominant scattering mechanism in 6H SiC MOSFETs was inferred to be phonon scattering based on the temperature dependence and theoretical estimates of the phonon limited mobility. In the case of 4H SiC, we infer that at surface roughness scattering is the dominant scattering mechanisms at high surface fields.
P‐141: A Wide‐view Multi‐domain Vertical‐alignment Liquid Crystal Display with High Transmittance and High Contrast

A wide viewing angle multi-domain vertical-alignment liquid crystal display (VA-LCD) is proposed. According to this design, by integrating a kind of wide-view circular polarizer, a contrast ratio higher than 800:1 is predicted over the entire ±85° viewing cone with the transmittance higher than 33% for an eight-domain VA-LCD. Potential application for LCD television is emphasized.
The 2010 Benjamin Franklin medal in chemistry presented to Joanne Stubbe

Abstract For pioneering studies demonstrating that ribonucleotide reductases transform ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides by an astonishing free-radical mechanism and for her unprecedented achievements in the study of complex biological systems through innovative chemical and spectroscopic methods.
Persisting psychotic states in adolescent drug users

In each of four adolescent delinquent boys a severe prolonged mental disorder developed after use of hallucinogenic drugs. Certain clinical features were observed that may characterize this complex disorder and may have both practical and theoretical significance. Two patients demonstrated abrupt and complete transitions in consciousness between profoundly abnormal states and mental clarity and rationality. These same two patients each experienced one episode indistinguishable from cataplexy during transition of consciousness. Some users of hallucinogenic drugs suffer sleep paralysis. It is noted that the flashback phenomenon is similar both to hypnagogic imagery and to the hallucinations and illusions of psychic seizures. It is suggested that persisting psychotic states that develop after protracted use of hallucinogenic drugs may be organic psychoses manifesting intermittent or chronic organic cerebral dysfunction.
Potential Oxygen Demand of Sediments from Lake Erie

Dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis) biodeposit large quantities of filtered materials (i.e., feces and pseudofeces) directly on bottom substrates. These biodeposits have the potential to increase oxygen demand in sediments and overlying waters and thus contribute to hypolimnetic anoxia in Lake Erie. We hypothesized that higher potential oxygen demand of sediments would occur in areas near shore than in offshore hypolimnetic waters as a result of biodeposits carried by currents from littoral water where mussels, available foods, and biodeposits may be most abundant. To address this hypothesis, we measured potential oxygen demand (mg O2/L/120 h incubation) at six sites near shore and six sites offshore monthly June to September 2002 and August 2003. In addition, we compared, in post priori hypothesis, seven sites with and five sites without dreissenid mussels. Contrary to our hypotheses, potential oxygen demand was not significantly higher in bottles containing nearshore sediments than offshore sediments. Similarly, potential oxygen demand was not significantly higher at sites with dreissenid mussels than at sites without mussels. Data are consistent with pre-dreissenid studies which show oxygen demand and percent ash-free dry weights of sediments were higher offshore than near shore and ash-free dry weight of sediments decreased June to September. Therefore, the present study provides no evidence that dreissenid mussels have contributed directly-via biodeposition-to increased anoxia observed in Lake Erie in the mid to late 1990s.
Toughness and fracture energy of PDMS bimodal and trimodal networks with widely separated precursor molar masses

End-linked PDMS bimodal and trimodal networks display enhanced mechanical properties in uniaxial extension over those of unimodal networks with similar modulus when the molar masses of their precursor chains are widely separated. These multimodal networks have optimal mechanical properties when the short chains are near their overlap concentration and sustain most of the load, but the volume of the system is still dominated by the ductile long chain component. Such elastomers can be stretched to large elongations before fracture while displaying an upturn in stress at high strain. Improvement in fracture energy of pre-cut bimodal and trimodal networks over that of unimodal networks is much less pronounced and appears to be dictated by the average molar mass of the effective elastic strands in each network.
Role for the Third Intracellular Loop in Cell Surface Stabilization of the α2A-Adrenergic Receptor

Abstract Previous studies have shown that α2A-adrenergic receptor (α2A-AR) retention at the basolateral surface of polarized MDCKII cells involves its third intracellular (3i loop). The present studies examining mutant α2A-ARs possessing short deletions of the 3i loop indicate that no single region can completely account for the accelerated surface turnover of the Δ3iα2A-AR, suggesting that the entire 3i loop is involved in basolateral retention. Both wild-type and Δ3i loop α2A-ARs are extracted from polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells with 0.2% Triton X-100 and with a similar concentration/response profile, suggesting that Triton X-100-resistant interactions of the α2A-AR with cytoskeletal proteins are not involved in receptor retention on the basolateral surface. The indistinguishable basolateral t for either the wild-type or nonsense 3i loop α2A-AR suggests that the stabilizing properties of the α2A-AR 3i loop are not uniquely dependent on a specific sequence of amino acids. The accelerated turnover of Δ3i α2A-AR cannot be attributed to alteration in agonist-elicited α2A-AR redistribution, because α2A-ARs are not down-regulated in response to agonist. Taken together, the present studies show that stabilization of the α2A-AR on the basolateral surface of MDCKII cells involves multiple mechanisms, with the third intracellular loop playing a central role in regulating these processes.
The use of stem cells in kidney disease.

Purpose of reviewAcute and chronic kidney disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with overall mortality rates between 50 and 80%. An acute shortage of compatible organs coupled with limited adaptability of current dialysis techniques has created a sense of urgency to investi
Migration of the Günther Tulip inferior vena cava filter to the chest.

The authors describe two cases in which Gunther Tulip inferior vena cava filters migrated to the chest, necessitating open-heart surgery for retrieval. In the first case, a 52-year-old man was transferred to their hospital from an outside facility after the filter migrated to the main pulmonary artery during attempted filter placement. In the second case, a 72-year-old man, a Gunther Tulip filter was found to have migrated to the tricuspid valve after cardiopulmonary arrest and subsequent resuscitation, including emergent central venous line placement. The authors present the relevant details of both cases, discuss possible preventive strategies, and review the available literature about migration of the Gunther Tulip filter.
Desecration, Moral Boundaries, and the Movement of Law: The Case of Westboro Baptist Church

Using participant observation, in-depth interviews, and legislative histories, we examine Westboro Baptist Church, a religious group infamous for homophobic rhetoric and funeral protests. Employing cultural and interactionist perspectives that focus on the semiotics of death, the sacred, and desecration, we outline how Westboro’s activities purposively violate deeply held signifiers of moral order through language, while simultaneously respecting extant laws of behavior. This strategy, in conjunction with the political profitability of opposing the group, explains why the group’s activism triggered extensive legal disputes and modifications at multiple levels of governance. Westboro’s actions and use of symbols—and those of others against the group—lay bare multiple threads in the sacred cultural fabric of American society.
The preparation and properties of some vanadium spinels

In order to study experimentally the properties of outer electrons as a function of inter-atomic separation through the transition region from narrow-band to localized properties, the spinels MV2O4 and M2'VO4, where M = Mn, Fe, Mg, Zn and Co and M' = Fe and Co, were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. Conductivity measurements could all be represented by the localized-electron relationship ρ = ρ0 exp(q/kT), but the measured q was sensitive to room-temperature cation-cation separation R, decreasing in the stoichiometric MV2O4 spinels from 0.37 ± 0.01 eV for R = 3.013 A in MnV2O4 to 0.07 ± 0.005 eV for R = 2.972 A in CoV2O4. Attempts to prepare NiV2O4, which might have had a sufficiently small R for a collective-electron relationship, were unsuccessful. Reduction of R by substitution of Al for V in CoAlxV2−xO4 introduced a “foreign” ion into the vanadium sublattice, and q increased. Similarly Co2VO4, with R = 2.965 A and a Co2+ + V4+B-site sublattice; has a q = 0.37 ± 0.01 eV. Further evidence that a small energy is required to create a separated hole-electron pair within the vanadium sublattice comes from maxima at x ~0.11 in the q vs. x and θ vs. x curves for the system Fe1+xV2−xO4, where 0 < x < 1 and θ is the Seebeck voltage. Magnetization measurements indicate noncollinear spin configurations, which indicates strong antiferromagnetic B-B interactions between vanadium cations. The data are compatible with a predicted V3+-V3+ separation in oxides of Rc ∼2.97 A for the transition from collective-electron to localized-electron behavior.
Avian erythrocyte histones: Salt‐induced conformational changes in the erythrocyte‐specific histone V (f2c)

Abstract : The report presents evidence from circular dichroism studies of the erythrocyte - specific histone V(f2c) that a confromational change occurs upon changing the ionic environment of the histone. This change occurs within the physiological region, 0.1 - 0.2 M, as the resulting form resembles a standard beta structure.
Brain correlates of autonomic modulation: Combining heart rate variability with fMRI

Abstract The central autonomic network (CAN) has been described in animal models but has been difficult to elucidate in humans. Potential confounds include physiological noise artifacts affecting brainstem neuroimaging data, and difficulty in deriving non-invasive continuous assessments of autonomic modulation. We have developed and implemented a new method which relates cardiac-gated fMRI timeseries with continuous-time heart rate variability (HRV) to estimate central autonomic processing. As many autonomic structures of interest are in brain regions strongly affected by cardiogenic pulsatility, we chose to cardiac-gate our fMRI acquisition to increase sensitivity. Cardiac-gating introduces T1-variability, which was corrected by transforming fMRI data to a fixed TR using a previously published method [Guimaraes, A.R., Melcher, J.R., et al., 1998. Imaging subcortical auditory activity in humans. Hum. Brain Mapp. 6(1), 33–41]. The electrocardiogram was analyzed with a novel point process adaptive-filter algorithm for computation of the high-frequency (HF) index, reflecting the time-varying dynamics of efferent cardiovagal modulation. Central command of cardiovagal outflow was inferred by using the resample HF timeseries as a regressor to the fMRI data. A grip task was used to perturb the autonomic nervous system. Our combined HRV-fMRI approach demonstrated HF correlation with fMRI activity in the hypothalamus, cerebellum, parabrachial nucleus/locus ceruleus, periaqueductal gray, amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, and dorsomedial/dorsolateral prefrontal, posterior insular, and middle temporal cortices. While some regions consistent with central cardiovagal control in animal models gave corroborative evidence for our methodology, other mostly higher cortical or limbic-related brain regions may be unique to humans. Our approach should be optimized and applied to study the human brain correlates of autonomic modulation for various stimuli in both physiological and pathological states.
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF WATER IN SUSPENSIONS OF MONTMORILLONITE1

The partial molar free energies, entropies and heat contents of the water in suspensions of Li-, Na-, and K-clay were measured relative to pure water by means of a tensiometer. This method of obtaining these thermodynamic properties is far more sensitive than the more common method utilizing adsorption isotherms and a form of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. The partial molar free energy of the water decreased with time after stirring and increased rapidly upon stirring. This was taken as evidence that a gradual increase in the degree of orientation of water molecules associated with the clay particles occurred as the particles fell into the more random edge-to-surface thixotropic structure. The partial molar entropies and heat contents of the water in the suspensions were found to be less than those for pure water. Hence, this evidence also supported the postulate that an ordered water structure exists in the thixotropic suspensions.
Who Really Answers the Questions? Using Glasser's Quality School Model in an Undergraduate Classroom

The authors discuss the effectiveness of the Quality School model and active learning in an undergraduate classroom setting. They compare performance levels of students in two course sections of Principles of Macroeconomics and two sections of Managerial Communications. Students are given an opportunity to help shape the structure of the information covered based on their own interests and concerns. The results support predictions of improved student performance in classes where the Quality School model was implemented relative to those where it was not.
Mixture theory of domain switching in ferroelectric ceramics

A mixture model is proposed to model domain switching in polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramics. Each grain is modeled as a body of mixture consisting of distinct types of domains which are characterized by their mass fractions as internal variables. In this model, domain switching corresponds to changes of mass fractions of the corresponding domains. A thermodynamics-based criterion is proposed to govern domain switching in quasi-static processes. With the present model, one can make grain-level calculations of internal stress and electric fields to which microcracking, the primary cause of the electric fatigue, is attributed. The explicit solution to an idealized 1D polycrystalline ferroelectric system is presented in order to explore the implications of this model.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Differential effects of IFN-γ on kidney cell expression of MHC class II molecules, kidney cell associated molecules and their stimulatory capacity in mixed lymphocyte kidney cell culture

Abstract Mixed cell co-cultures of lymphocytes responding to kidney cells (MLKC), islets of Langerhans (MLIC) and mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC), were used to clarify mechanisms in allogeneic and autoimmune (tissue-associated) antigen presentation. Fresh kidney cortical tubular cells (KC), Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK), and dog kidney (6247) (DK) cell lines were used in MLKC reactions, and islets of Langerhans were used in the MLIC as putative antigen presenting cells (APC). The stimulating cells were treated with purified or recombinant dog interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and the detection of class II MHC molecule expression was assessed by a moneclonal antibody (mAb) (B1F6). Transcription of MHC class II mRNA and IFN-γ mRNA was measured by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction, and detection of a kidney cell (tissue-associated) antigen molecule was assessed by the mAb I1F6 that recognizes 72 and 150 kDa tubular cell protein(s) (KT1). The MDCK cell line constitutively expressed low levels of MHC class II molecules and KT1. The steady-state level of the MHC class II mRNA transcription was virtually unaltered by treatment with IFN-γ (400 units) for 48 hours; however, the MHC cell surface protein expression was enhanced. The KC and DK cell lines constitutively expressed KT1, but not MHC class II molecules; these cells required a minimum of 4000 units, and a 62-hour incubation with IFN-γ was needed to upregulate both surface MHC class II molecules and the transcription of corresponding specific mRNA. In the MLKC reaction both the MDCK and DK cell lines, as well as fresh KC cells, could serve as lymphocyte activators. This could be amplified by exogenous IFN-γ. The removal of APC from the responding T cell population did not reduce the IFN-γ effect. This indicates that IFN-γ treatment allows for the expression of all the co-stimulating factors and/or adhesion molecules necessary for these cells to serve as (surrogate) APC (direct as opposed to indirect antigen presentation). The requirements for purified IFN-γ to increase this amplification was greater in the MLKC reactions with kidney cells than in the MLC reactions. The mAbs anti-IFN-γ and I1F6 differed in their ability to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation depending on the different cell types involved. The I1F6 inhibited the MDCK and DK cell-driven MLKC (in the absence of exogenous IFN-γ). The anti-IFN-γ mAb did not inhibit MDCK- (allogeneic)-driven MLKC, in which it was seen that the translation or posttranslation of class II MHC molecules could be upregulated by even small amounts of (endogenous) IFN-γ, and neither I1F6 nor anti-IFN-γ had any effect on the purely allogeneic MLC reactions. These findings suggest that the paracrine effects of endogenous IFN-γ levels, at critical concentrations and durations, might play a crucial role in T lymphocyte activation by graft cells acting as surrogate APC in presenting tissue-associated nominal antigens in vivo .
Mutations of the Act Promoter in Myxococcus xanthus

Mutations within the -12 and -24 elements provide evidence that the act promoter is recognized by sigma-54 RNA polymerase. Deletion of the -20 base pair, which lies between the two conserved elements of sigma-54 promoters, decreased expression by 90%. In addition, mutation of a potential enhancer sequence, around -120, led to an 80% reduction in act gene expression. actB, the second gene in the act operon, encodes a sigma-54 activator protein that is proposed to be an enhancer-binding protein for the act operon. All act genes, actA to actE, are expressed together and constitute an operon, because an in-frame deletion of actB decreased expression of actA and actE to the same extent. After an initially slow phase of act operon expression, which depends on FruA, there is a rapid phase. The rapid phase is shown to be due to the activation of the operon expression by ActB, which completes a positive feedback loop. That loop appears to be nested within a larger positive loop in which ActB is activated by the C signal via ActA, and the act operon activates transcription of the csgA gene. We propose that, as cells engage in more C signaling, positive feedback raises the number of C-signal molecules per cell and drives the process of fruiting body development forward.
The temporal region of the cranium of loricarioid catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes): Morphological diversity and phylogenetic significance

Abstract The morphology of the temporal region of the cranium of the monophyletic loricarioid catfishes was examined in representatives of the families Trichomycteridae, Callichthyidae, Scoloplacidae, Astroblepidae, and Loricariidae, and compared to non-loricarioid outgroup taxa. The results indicate the presence of derived specializations in the morphology of the pterotic bone, swimbladder capsule, lateral-line nerve, and associated structures which have not been previously recognized. Astroblepids, callichthyids, loricariids and scoloplacids differ from trichomycterids and non-loricarioid catfishes in having a reduced number of bones in the temporal region. Loricariids share with astroblepids and some trichomycterids the presence of direct contact between the trunk lateral-line canal and swimbladder capsule chamber; however, only loricariids have the lateral-line canal in direct contact with the swimbladder membrane, resulting in a laterophysic connection in addition to the otophysic connection between inner ear and swimbladder characteristic of otophysan fishes. Derived trichomycterids share with the outgroups Amphiliidae, Plotosidae and Sisoridae a cranial exit of the posterior lateral-line nerve separate from that of the vagus nerve, whereas both nerves exit the cranium via a common foramen in other loricarioids and outgroup catfishes. Callichthyids share with scoloplacids and loricariids a lateral-line nerve traversing the swimbladder capsule. Loricariids are further modified in having a compound pterotic bone that is double-layered and bears the postotic canal on the ventral layer. The dorsal layer is posteriorly expanded to enclose the lateral opening of the swimbladder capsule and an expanded capsule chamber. Based on the previously well-established scheme of interrelationships among loricarioid families, we infer that much of the variation in temporal cranial morphology over the course of loricarioid evolution has involved independent convergence toward increased functional association of primitively separate sensory structures of the octavolateralis system.