cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3022: Dissecting rapamycin resistance in a Tsc2-null rat leiomyoma cell line developed in a murine xenograft

Despite the identification of mTOR hyperactivation as the main biochemical defect downstream of TSC1/TSC2 inactivation in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), and the approval of rapamycin and rapalogs for the treatment of the related lesions, these drugs are cytostatic and continued treatment is required for clinical benefit. The latter raises the possibility of acquired drug resistance over long-term use. To explore the mechanisms leading to rapamycin resistance in LAM/TSC, we xenografted SCID mice with ELT3 cells (Tsc2-null derived from an Eker rat uterine leiomyoma), explanted a tumor that was not responsive to rapamycin, and generated cell line ELT3-245. The cell growth of ELT3-245 is not inhibited by rapamycin in vitro. SCID mice inoculated with ELT3-245 form palpable tumors significantly faster, compared to ELT3 cells, respond very poorly to rapamycin at the initial stages of treatment, but soon become non-responsive. In addition, these cells form macroscopically visible metastases to the lungs of ELT3-245 tumor-bearing mice. We performed global gene expression profiling, comparing ELT3-245 to ELT3 cells, and found that the rapamycin-resistant cells have decreased expression of genes associated with epithelial cells and increased expression of genes associated with mesenchymal-like characteristics. Relative gene expression of Myc, Egfr, Akt2, Jun, and Ocln were assessed by RT-qPCR in ELT3 vs ELT3-245 after 24h of treatment with 20 nM rapamycin or DMSO. Important discrepancies include a 2.8-fold increased expression of Egfr under rapamycin treatment in ELT3 cells but not in ELT3-245; however, ELT3-245 had a 15-fold higher expression of Egfr prior to treatment, compared to ELT3. In addition, ELT3-245 cells strikingly increase expression of Myc when challenged with rapamycin, compared to ELT3. Similarly, Akt2 is increased considerably under rapamycin treatment in ELT3-245 and is already higher prior to treatment compared to ELT3. Finally, Ocln expression was at least 100-fold reduced in ELT3-245, compared to ELT3, both under rapamycin treatment and no-treatment conditions. These results suggest that Myc, Egfr, Akt2, and Ocln are among the genes highly relevant to acquired rapamycin resistance in this Tsc2-null rat leiomyoma cell line and point toward the pathways that need to be interfered with in order to overcome it. Citation Format: Natalia Filippidou, Mathildi Valianou, Daniel L. Johnson, John J. Bissler, Aristotelis Astrinidis. Dissecting rapamycin resistance in a Tsc2-null rat leiomyoma cell line developed in a murine xenograft [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3022.
A Call for Better Data on Prevalence and Health Surveillance of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Abstract The U.S. approach to the health of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is fraught with paradox. The health of this population has been of longstanding concern, ye...
Took a Pic and Got Declined, Vexed and Perplexed: Facial Recognition in Algorithmic Management

The rise of biometric security changes how users make decisions about their privacy. As passwords give way to faces and fingerprints, the algorithmic nature of these processes creates new cognitive labor for users. When biometrics are used in spaces of algorithmic management, workers must negotiate tradeoffs between security, privacy, fairness, and their livelihood. A mixed-methods, human-centered research design paired with theory frameworks from algorithmic management, usable security, and algorithmic fairness illuminates how workers navigate facial recognition at the level of local practice. As AI/ML technologies for management and security become increasingly interwoven, the implications of this research are significant.
Gaining Outlier Resistance With Progressive Quantiles: Fast Algorithms and Theoretical Studies

Outliers widely occur in big-data applications and may severely affect statistical estimation and inference. In this article, a framework of outlier-resistant estimation is introduced to robustify ...
Heartbeat: increased use of NOACs in patients with atrial fibrillation reduces health care system costs by reducing stroke incidence.

A major goal in management of adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) is prevention of stroke. In an editorial, our stroke neurology colleagues1 point out that about 1/3 of patients with an AF-related stroke had a diagnosis of AF before the stroke but were not on anticoagulation therapy. When vitamin K-antagonists were the only option for anticoagulation, ‘many patients did not receive anticoagulant therapy despite a clear-cut indication due to a highly inconvenient treatment (repeated international normalised Ratio measurements, many food and drug-interactions, frequent dose adjustments) and a significant risk of intracerebral (and other major) bleeding.’ Now, with the availability of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) the risk–benefit balance has shifted towards therapy to prevent AF-related stroke. Still, hesitation remains due to the higher cost of these newer medications. In order to better understand temporal changes in AF-related stroke incidence, anticoagulant medication prescribing and overall and per-patient costs in the UK, Orlowski and colleagues2 compared the time periods of 2011–2014 versus 2014–2017, using National Health Service data. A dramatic increase (over 85%) in oral anticoagulation prescribing was seen, mostly due to increased use of NOACs (figure 1). As expected, greater use of NOACs was associated with an increase in total medication costs by over 780%, mainly due to the increased number of AF patients being treated, corresponding to an increase in medication cost of about 51% per patient. …
High-Quality Genome Reconstruction of Candida albicans CHN1 Using Nanopore and Illumina Sequencing and Hybrid Assembly

We report an improved, nearly closed, high-quality draft genome reconstruction of the Candida albicans CHN1 strain (ATCC MYA-4779), a human isolate, using Illumina and Nanopore sequencing. Covering six complete and two partial nuclear chromosomes along with a partial mitochondrial genome, this assembly is 14,787,852 bases in size, with 5,935 genes.
“Because I'm Bad at the Game!” A Microanalytic Study of Self Regulated Learning in League of Legends

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a form of learning guided by the student's own meta-cognition, motivation, and strategic action, often in the absence of an educator. The use of SRL processes and skills has been demonstrated across numerous academic and non-academic contexts including athletics. However, the manifestation of these processes within esports has not been studied. Similar to traditional athletes, esports players' performance is likely correlated with their ability to engage SRL skills as they train. Thus, the study of SRL in the context of esports would be valuable in supporting players' learning and mastery of play through specialized training and computational support. Further, an understanding of how SRL manifests in esports would highlight new opportunities to use esports in education. Existing work on SRL in games, however, predominantly focuses on educational games. In this work, we aim to take a first step in the study of SRL in esports by replicating Kitsantas and Zimmerman’s 2002 volleyball study in the context of League of Legends. We compared the self-regulatory processes of expert, non-expert, and novice League of Legends players, and found that there were significant differences for processes in the forethought phase. We discuss three implications of these findings: what they mean for the development of future computational tools for esports players, implications that esports may be able to teach SRL skills that transfer to academics, and what educational technology can learn from esports to create more effective tools.
TU-E-BRB-03: Overview of Proposed TG-132 Recommendations

Deformable image registration (DIR) is developing rapidly and is poised to substantially improve dose fusion accuracy for adaptive and retreatment planning and motion management and PET fusion to enhance contour delineation for treatment planning. However, DIR dose warping accuracy is difficult to quantify, in general, and particularly difficult to do so on a patient-specific basis. As clinical DIR options become more widely available, there is an increased need to understand the implications of incorporating DIR into clinical workflow. Several groups have assessed DIR accuracy in clinically relevant scenarios, but no comprehensive review material is yet available. This session will also discuss aspects of the AAPM Task Group 132 on the Use of Image Registration and Data Fusion Algorithms and Techniques in Radiotherapy Treatment Planning official report, which provides recommendations for DIR clinical use. We will summarize and compare various commercial DIR software options, outline successful clinical techniques, show specific examples with discussion of appropriate and inappropriate applications of DIR, discuss the clinical implications of DIR, provide an overview of current DIR error analysis research, review QA options and research phantom development and present TG-132 recommendations. Learning Objectives: 1.Compare/contrast commercial DIR software and QA options 2.Overview clinical DIR workflow for retreatment 3.To understand uncertainties introduced by DIR 4.Review TG-132 proposed recommendations
Energy efficiency of an intermediate-temperature solid oxide iron–air redox battery

Abstract An ASPEN Plus based model is presented for an intermediate-temperature solid oxide iron–air redox battery (IT-SOIARB) system. The model shows that the energy efficiency of the system can be as high as 83%. Furthermore, the model is used to determine the factors that affect the energy efficiency of the battery. With air as the working fluid, a heat exchanger and thermal storage unit are included in the battery system to utilize effectively the heat generated from the discharge cycle in the charge cycle. The results show that air utilization (or air mass flow rate) plays a key role in regulating heat flow between the battery components.
Congenital atresia of the lower third of the vagina with concealed hematocolpos.

Abstract 1. 1. The clinical details of a case of congenital absence of the lower third of the vagina with concealed hematocolpos, including its operative management, are herewith reported. 2. 2. It is averred that the occurrence of such and anomaly supports the theory of dual origin of the vagina.
Pasteurella pestis: Growth Temperature, Virulence, and the Graded Response

Rosenwald, Albert J. (Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.), and Ralph E. Lincoln. Pasteurella pestis: growth temperature, virulence, and the graded response. J. Bacteriol. 91:1693-1695. 1966.-A comparison of the virulence of Pasteurella pestis was made by the graded and quantal response methods. Both tests reflected the difference in virulence of cultures grown at three temperatures. Cultures grown at lower temperatures gave the most variable response in virulence tests, and cultures grown at higher temperatures were more virulent. Results from the graded response test were obtained more quickly and more economically than those from the quantal response test.
Evidence for the involvement of docosahexaenoic acid in cholinergic stimulated signal transduction at the synapse

[4,5-3H]Docosahexaenoic acid ([3H]DHA) or [9,10-3H]palmitic acid ([3H]PAM) was infused intravenously for 5 min to awake, adult male rats before and after treatment with arecoline (15 mg/kg, i.p.), a cholinergic agonist. Animals were killed 15 min post-infusion, the brains were rapidly removed and subcellular fractions were obtained after sucrose density centrifugation. In control animals, [3H]DHA and [3H]PAM were incorporated into the synaptosomal fractions, representing 50%-60% of total membrane label. Most remaining membrane label (30%-40%) was in the microsomal fraction. Both fractions contained the synaptic marker synaptophysin. The remaining 10% of radioactivity was in the myelin and mitochondrial fractions. Arecoline significantly increased [3H]DHA entry into the synaptosomal fractions by 100% and into the microsomal fraction by 50%. In these fractions 60%-65% of the [3H]DHA was in phospholipid, the rest corresponding to free fatty acid and diacylglycerol. In contrast, arecoline did not change [3H]PAM incorporation into any brain fraction. These results demonstrate that plasma [3H]DHA incorporation is selectively increased into synaptic membrane phospholipids of the rat brain in response to cholinergic activation. The increased incorporation of DHA but not of PAM into synaptic membranes in response to cholinergic stimulation indicates a primary role for DHA in phospholipid mediated signal transduction at the synapse involving activation of phospholipase A2 and/or C.
Localization of clusterin on freeze-preserved bull spermatozoa before and after glass wool-sephadex filtration.

Clusterin is a major protein in bull reproductive tract secretions and sperm membrane extract. A polyclonal antibody was produced against clusterin from bull cauda epididymal fluid (CEF) and used for the localization of the protein on bull spermatozoa. Immunoblotting of unreduced bovine samples showed that the anticlusterin antibody reacted with a protein of approximately 94- to 100-kd in rete testis fluid (RTF), a approximately 57- to 76-kd protein in CEF, and with a approximately 57- to 60-kd protein from cauda epididymal sperm membrane extract. The antibody also reacted with stallion RTF and both ram CEF and RTF at relative molecular weights (Mr) that were consistent with the anticipated size of clusterin in these species. Less intense immunostaining was observed for a protein of about 2 times the predicted size of clusterin in unreduced ovine RTF, suggesting the presence of multimers of clusterin in ovine RTF. Also, a dimeric clusterin-sized protein was detected in reduced bovine CEF, suggesting the presence of unprocessed clusterin in bovine CEF. By immunofluorescence, clusterin was detected on only a small fraction of bull spermatozoa, which were morphologically abnormal. Neither permeabilization nor the method of dilution affected the reactivity of the antibody with spermatozoa (P > .05). Average clusterin-positive spermatozoa (CPS) in unpermeabilized, permeabilized, abruptly diluted, and gradually diluted semen were 10.1%, 11.3%, 15.0%, and 14.4%, respectively. CPS were eliminated from semen after filtration through glass wool-Sephadex (GWS) columns. Average CPS in unfiltered and filtered semen were 14.3% and 1.1%, respectively. We conclude that sperm clusterin in bull semen is associated with morphologically abnormal spermatozoa and that clusterin is implicated in the process of abnormal spermatozoa trapping in GWS columns. We suggest that the fraction of CPS in bull semen is a potential marker for poor semen quality.
Chapter 4 – “what do you mean by that?” using structured interviews to assess science understanding

Publisher Summary There is a growing consensus that traditional quantitative assessment tools are largely inadequate for producing an adequately fine-grained description of both what learners know and how they build and revise that knowledge. In recent years, teachers, researchers, and curriculum planners have found that a rich understanding of the common alternative conceptions can be a useful guide for planning effective instruction. The selection of the task to be used in a structured interview, including any graphics or other props, is the most critical decision in planning an interview. The interview task should be tightly focused on the concept of interest and at a level of difficulty appropriate to the learner. It should be carefully structured to focus on likely conceptual difficulties based on prior experience with similar students. In interviews about instances, a student is typically presented with a specific set of examples and counterexamples of the concept of interest, and is asked to identify which cases are examples of the concept and then, to explain that decision.
Mapping of the HhaI and HinfI cleavage sites on simian virus 40 DNA

Two new bacterial restriction endonucleases, Hha I from Haemophilus haemolyticus and Hinf I from Haemophilus influenzae serotype f have been found to produce specific fragments of simian virus 40 DNA. The DNA is cleaved into two fragments by Hha I and ten fragments by Hin fI. The fragments have been ordered and the cleavage sites mapped, resulting in the derivation of two new physical maps of simian virus 40 DNA. The usefulness of the two enzymes in the analysis of primary structure and function in simian virus 40 DNA is discussed.
Microscopic observations of bacterial sorption in soil cores

Bacterial cells may be immobilized in soil through adsorption to a variety of soil particles. These associations affect the interaction of native soil microbes with their nutrient sources and control at least in part the distribution of foreign bacteria entering the soil system. To observe the relationship between soil structure and adsorption of amended bacterial cells, a series of intact cores of Freehold fine sandy loam were inoculated with suspensions of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes cells at concentrations ranging from 106 to 108 cells per ml. The cells were cultivated in a glucose-based medium to induce spherical cell formation. Following inoculation, the soil cores were rinsed with sterile water (30–40 ml h–1), flushed with thiazine red R to stain the bacterial cells, and then prepared for examination by common micromorphological techniques. The use of fluorescence, polarizing, and reflected light microscopy of soil thin sections, allowed direct, qualitative determinations of microbial distribution and associations with soil components. A. crystallopoietes cells were detected throughout the length of the soil columns. Soil pores did not appear to be clogged by the spherical A. crystallopoietes cells. Adsorption of amended bacteria was governed by the presence of both variably charged mineral oxides and organic matter within the intergrain microaggregates and occurred along coated mineral surfaces. Amendment of non-inoculated soil columns with 0.2% (w/v) solution of glucose demonstrated that the staining and sectioning procedure was sufficiently sensitive to detect growth of indigenous bacterial populations and their distributions within the soil matrix.
Simulation of Electron Hop Funnel Hysteresis

Insulating funnels, called electron hop funnels, use secondary electron emission and an electric field created by an electrode to transport current through the device. The surface charge along the funnel wall self-adjusts to get unity-gain transmission. Electron hop funnels allow increased control over the spatial and energy uniformity of the transmitted beam from a field emitter array. Measurements performed on the relationship between transmission through the device and the electrode voltage has shown hysteresis. To better understand the origin of the hysteresis, simulations have been performed using the particle trajectory code Lorentz 2E. The simulations reveal two very important mechanisms that define the transmission through the funnel. The simulations also show that hysteresis is a fundamental characteristic of hop funnels.
Expanding the Discourse on Antipoverty Policy: Reconsidering a Negative Income Tax

This article proposes that advocates for the poor consider the replacement of the current means-tested safety net in the United States with a Negative Income Tax (NIT), a guaranteed income program that lifts families’ incomes above a minimum threshold. The article highlights gaps in service provision that leave millions in poverty, explains how a NIT could help fill those gaps, and compares current expenditures on major means-tested programs to estimated expenditures necessary for a NIT. Finally, it addresses the financial and political concerns that are likely to arise in the event that a NIT proposal gains traction among policy makers.
Optic evoked potential changes induced by deaminated metabolites of serotonin: 5-hydroxytryptophol and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid

En el conejo no anestesiado, el acido 5-hidroxiindoleacetico y el 5-hidroxitriptofol modifican los potenciales opticos evocados de manera similar que la serotonina. Los derivados deaminados de la serotonina probablemente modulan las sinapsis serotonergicas.
Do Equally Owned Small Businesses Have Equal Access to Credit

Previous research in small-business financing has generally ignored those businesses owned equally by males and females. The rationale has been that such businesses share the characteristics of both types of owners and would confound any gender-based differences. This paper presents an empirical study in which the credit access experiences of equally owned small businesses are compared to those of their female- and male-owned entrepreneurial counterparts. Various measures of credit constraints are introduced that suggest that equally owned businesses often do experience larger constraints than male-owned businesses and smaller constraints than female-owned businesses, when all credit applicants are considered. However, the results are more mixed in comparisons of successful applicants’ constraints. A different approach from that of existing research is then used to study exactly how equally owned small businesses’ experiences are unique, rather than merely whether they differ from those of their counterparts. The evidence indicates that different factors are determining the credit application outcomes of all three ownership groups. Where similar determinants are found, equally owned businesses are influenced in a manner more similar to male-owned small businesses. The results show that equally owned small businesses’ credit access experience is not equally balanced between those of their counterparts.
Reduction of psychopathology among individuals participating in non-treatment drug abuse residential studies.

The psychological repercussions in drug abusing individuals of their participation in non-treatment residential drug abuse research protocols have been uncertain. To study this, the average raw scores of the Symptom-Check List-90 Revised (SCL-90R) at the time of recruiting and discharge (40.2 ± 5.6 days later) was studied at the Addiction Research Center of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA-ARC), in Baltimore, Maryland, in a sample of 233 drug abusers seeking no treatment. There was significant reduction in symptomatology (p < .01) between recruiting and discharge for Obsessive-Compulsive, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Phobic Anxiety, Paranoid Ideation, Psychoticism, and Total Scores. These findings suggest that participation of drug abusers in nontreatment residential studies is safe and may improve their psychological status, which may be a therapeutic outcome of disengaging individuals from their drug environment and offering a safe and structured milieu.
Formation, Characterization, and Chemistry of Undecanoic Acid-Terminated Silicon Surfaces: Patterning and Immobilization of DNA

This paper describes a simple strategy for DNA immobilization on chemically modified and patterned silicon surfaces. The photochemical modification of hydrogen-terminated Si(111) with undecylenic acid leads to the formation of an organic monolayer covalently attached to the surface through Si-C bonds without detectable reaction of the carboxylic acid group, providing indirect support of a free radical mechanism. Chemical activation of the acid function was achieved by a simple chemical route using N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) in the presence of N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride. Single strand DNA with a 5'-dodecylamine group was then coupled to the NHS-activated surface by amide bond formation. Using a previously reported chemical patterning approach, we have shown that DNA can be immobilized on silicon surfaces in spatially well-resolved domains. Methoxytetraethyleneglycolamine was used to inhibit nonspecific adsorption. The resulting DNA-modified surfaces have shown good specificity and chemical and thermal stability under hybridization conditions. The sequential reactions on the surface were monitored by ATR-FTIR, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy.
Decision Methodology for Allocating Funds across Transportation Infrastructure Assets

One of the main activities in transportation infrastructure asset management is the allocation of available funds across infrastructure classes (e.g., pavements, bridges, signs) or programs (e.g., maintenance, construction). A methodology for allocating funds across transportation asset classes using multiattribute utility theory has been developed and is provided in this paper. This methodology can be used for performing trade-off analysis among asset classes where it is practical to consider potential shifts in funding from one class to another. The methodology was applied to a sample state highway network in Champaign County, Illinois. The sample highway network consists of pavements, bridges, culverts, signs, and intersections. Four funding allocation alternatives were evaluated using the developed methodology. The case study identified the funding allocation alternative that results in the lowest risk of infrastructure failure or poor performance (i.e., highest utility) from an experienced engineer standpoint. The utility analysis revealed that the decision maker in the case study is risk averse when managing infrastructure classes with the most potential to affect traffic safety and to be noticed by the public, such as bridges and intersections. The case study also revealed that the level of available funding and the level of infrastructure performance affect how the total funding is allocated among asset classes.
Elucidating Jet Energy Loss Using Jets: Prospects from ATLAS

Abstract Jets at the LHC are expected to provide the testing ground for studying QCD energy loss. In this contribution, we briefly outline the strategy that will be used to measure jets in ATLAS and how we will go about studying energy loss. We describe the utility of measuring the jet R A A , the fragmentation function, and heavy flavor jets. Utilizing the collision energy provided by the LHC and the nearly hermetic and highly segmented calorimeter, ATLAS is expected to make important contributions to the understanding of parton energy loss using fully reconstructed jets.
Loss-of-load probabilities for stand-alone photovoltaic systems

Abstract A general method is presented for estimating the loss-of-load probability (LLP) of stand-alone photovoltaic systems. The method was developed by correlating simulation results. The simulations were driven with synthetic radiation sequences having the same statistical significance as available historical data. The method assumes a constant nighttime load and accounts for the distribution and persistence in daily solar radiation data. It is shown that the 10-year average performance of systems having loss-of-load probabilities less than about .01 can vary greatly from one 10-year period to the next and thereby cannot be considered realistic performance estimates of a system during its lifetime.
The role of home in HIV/AIDS: a visual approach to understanding human-environment interactions in the context of long-term illness.

Abstract To better understand the human–environment experience, particularly within the context of chronic illness, eight HIV-positive participants provided a guided tour of the interior and exterior spaces of their residence. A video camera recorded all visual and verbal elements of the tours so that the interviewer could more accurately represent each individual's story of illness as it pertained to his or her home. Four primary roles of the home were identified which include self-expression, control, security, and restoration. By bringing these roles to light, particularly for chronically ill populations, we can begin to improve the relationship between humans, dwellings, and health.
Prudentius Psychomachia 317

Abstract The Latin text at Prudentius, Psychomachia 317 presents some syntactical difficulties, mostly stemming from the unexpected word quia. The manuscripts and glossa vetus offer little help on the matter. Gilbert Wakefield offered a convincing solution to the problem in a note that was buried in an edition of Lucretius that he edited in 1797. No subsequent editor of Prudentius has noticed his emendation, which should be revived and included in future editions.
Deformation Twinning in Nanocrystalline Aluminum

We report transmission electron microscope observations that provide evidence of deformation twinning in plastically deformed nanocrystalline aluminum. The presence of these twins is directly related to the nanocrystalline structure, because they are not observed in coarse-grained pure aluminum. We propose a dislocation-based model to explain the preference for deformation twins and stacking faults in nanocrystalline materials. These results underscore a transition from deformation mechanisms controlled by normal slip to those controlled by partial dislocation activity when grain size decreases to tens of nanometers, and they have implications for interpreting the unusual mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline materials.
Phytosterols, red yeast rice, and lifestyle changes instead of statins: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Background Many patients who refuse or cannot tolerate statin drugs choose alternative therapies for lipid lowering. Objectives This study aimed to determine the lipid-lowering effects of phytosterol tablets and lifestyle change (LC) on top of red yeast rice (RYR) therapy in patients with a history of statin refusal or statin-associated myalgias. Design A total of 187 participants (mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], 154 mg/dL) took RYR 1800 mg twice daily and were randomized to phytosterol tablets 900 mg twice daily or placebo. Participants were also randomized to a 12-week LC program or usual care (UC). Primary end point was change in LDL-C at 12, 24, and 52 weeks. Secondary end points were effect on other lipoproteins, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, weight, and development of myalgia. Results Phytosterols did not significantly improve LDL-C at weeks 12 ( P = .54), 24 ( P = .67), or 52 ( P = .76) compared with placebo. Compared with the UC group, the LC group had greater reductions in LDL-C at weeks 12 (−51 vs −42 mg/dL, P = .006) and 24 (−48 vs −40 mg/dL, P = .034) and was 2.3 times more likely to achieve an LDL-C P = .004). The LC group lost more weight for 1 year (−2.3 vs −0.3 kg, P P Conclusions The addition of phytosterol tablets to RYR did not result in further lowering of LDL-C levels. Participants in an LC program lost significantly more weight and were more likely to achieve an LDL-C
Structure and Function of the Vocalizations of Tree Squirrels (Tamiasciurus)

The two species of squirrels in the genus Tamiasciurus each have five vocalizations in common use. Four of these are related to control of aggressive interactions and advertisement of territorial ownership. The fifth is used to warn of the presence of a potential predator. This paper describes the sound structure of each vocalization and the social situations in which each is used. In addition, the paper discusses the effect of environmental and social differences on the evolution of differences in the vocalizations between squirrel species and between squirrels and birds.
Influence of a [Me2Si] ansa bridge on the barrier to rotation about the Zr–phenyl bond and on the generation and reactivity of benzyne intermediates: comparison of the structures and reactivity of [Me2Si(C5Me4)2]Zr(Ph)X and Cp*2Zr(Ph)X (X = H, Cl, Ph)

Comparison of the chemistry of [Me2Si(C5Me4)2]ZrPh2 and Cp*2ZrPh2 demonstrates that incorporation of a [Me2Si] ansa bridge reduces the barrier for both (i) rotation about the Zr–Ph bond and (ii) elimination of benzene to generate a benzyne intermediate; furthermore, the [Me2Si] ansa bridge promotes the reaction of two equivalents of MeCN with the benzyne intermediate {[Me2Si(C5Me4)2]Zr(η2-C6H4)}, whereas insertion of only one equivalent is observed with [Cp*2Zr(η2-C6H4)].
Foliar Methanol Applications to Cotton in the Southeastern United States: Leaf Physiology, Growth, and Yield Components

Foliar methanol applications have previously been reported to dramatically increase yields of a variety of crops under arid conditions, including cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Whether methanol is effective in the southeastern USA is not known. In addition, the agronomic and physiological events contributing to the increase are not understood. Therefore, we conducted a series of experiments in 1993 to study the effects of methanol on the gas exchange, water relations, development, growth, and yield of field-grown cotton at three locations in the southeastern USA. Conventional management and irrigation procedures were used. Methanol solutions in water, with and without urea and iron, were applied over the top at midday to cotton. Four to eight applications were made from flowering to late boll filling. Both single-leaf and canopy photosynthesis rates taken 2 h to 6 d after treatment were unaffected by methanol or the nutrients. At one site, CO 2 compensation point was determined, but did not differ among treatments. This finding does not support previous claims that methanol reduces photorespiration. Transpiration and water potential also were not affected by foliar applications of 15 or 30% methanol (v/v). Foliar methanol applications also did not result in faster development of the crop and did not increase yield at any of the locations. Our results do not indicate any positive effect of foliar methanol applications on cotton in the southeastern USA.
EFFECTS OF WOUNDING BY THE HERBIVOROUS SNAILS LITTORINA SITKANA AND L. SCUTULATA (MOLLUSCA) ON GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF THE INTERTIDAL ALGA FUCUS DISTICHUS (PHAEOPHYTA)1

Small (3–7 cm long) Fucus distichus ssp. edentatus (de la Pyl.) Pow. Plants were tagged at three sites in which densities of the herbivorous snails Littorina sitkana and L. scutulata ranged from 367–4690 animals · M-2. From April–August 1986, the growth rate, degree of wounding, and reproductive status of individual thalli were monitored at 2–4 week intervals. Grazer-inflicted damage to the thalli varied within and among sites. Mean growth rates at the site with low densities of littorines were about twice those at the site with intermediate densities and about four times those at the high density site. At the site with high densities of littorines, F. distichus growth rates were negatively correlated with the degree to which the plants were wounded. There appeared to be no correlation of grazer density with F. distichus survivorship. Thalli at the site with few herbivores tended to reproduce earlier and at a larger size than did those at the other two sites. In all three areas, only thalli that had received little damage from herbivores became reproductive. By lowering growth rates and delaying reproduction in F. distichus, grazing by littorine snails can potentially cause variation in reproductive output among individual thalli.
Electronic structure of siloxene model compounds

The electronic structures of one-dimensional and two-dimensional siloxene (Si6O3H6) model compounds have been examined theoretically, using the semiempirical tight-binding self-consistent field crystal orbital (SCF-CO) method. These compounds are formed by silicon-based chain and planar structures containing a regular array of oxygen atoms. Results show that the two-dimensional polysilane in which OH groups are substituted for H atoms possesses a relatively smaller direct gap than other siloxenes. It is assumed that the electronic structures of siloxenes are affected not only by the dimensionality of Si-Si σ-conjugational networks due to an array of oxygen atoms, but also by the diminishing of the electron population in the Si-Si bonding orbitals caused by oxygen atoms with large electronegativity.
Participatory Management in Large Irrigation Systems: Issues for Consideration

Abstract The inclusion of farmers in the decision-making process of management of irrigation systems is now accepted as necessary to increase productivity and income among the poor in the Third World. Hence, farmer participation is not simply a call for empowerment and mobilization of a hitherto powerless group but, more fundamentally, a development strategy. The author evaluates the experience of participatory management in Sri Lanka and arrives at general conclusions, taking into account the size and complexity of the irrigation system, objectives, and capacity of agencies and farmers for participatory management as key aspects in a sustainable development strategy.
Observation and analysis of the 3dπ1Σg+ rydberg state of O2 by (2+1) multiphoton ionization

Abstract (2+1) MPI spectra of the v ′=0–3 levels of the 3dπ 1 Σ g + Rydberg state have been obtained, assigned and analyzed. Rotational line intensities are accounted for by invoking heterogeneous predissociation due to the 1 1 Π g valence state.
Role of N-terminal residues in the ubiquitin-independent degradation of human thymidylate synthase.

Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyses the reductive methylation of dUMP to form dTMP, a reaction that is essential for maintenance of nucleotide pools during cell growth. Because the enzyme is indispensable for DNA replication in actively dividing cells, it is an important target for cytotoxic drugs used in cancer chemotherapy, including fluoropyrimidines (e.g. 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine) and anti-folates (e.g. raltitrexed, LY231514, ZD9331 and BW1843U89). These drugs generate metabolites that bind to the enzyme's active site and inhibit catalytic activity, leading to thymidylate deprivation and cellular apoptosis. Ligand binding to TS results in stabilization of the enzyme and an increase in its intracellular concentration. Previously, we showed that degradation of the TS polypeptide is carried out by the 26 S proteasome in a ubiquitin-independent manner. Such degradation is directed by the disordered N-terminal region of the TS polypeptide, and is abrogated by ligand binding. In the present study, we have verified the ubiquitin-independent nature of TS proteolysis by showing that a ‘lysine-less’ polypeptide, in which all lysine residues were replaced by arginine, is still subject to proteasome-mediated degradation. In addition, we have mapped the structural determinants of intracellular TS degradation in more detail and show that residues at the N-terminal end of the molecule, particularly the penultimate amino acid Pro2, play an important role in governing the half-life of the enzyme. This region is capable on its own of destabilizing an evolutionarily distinct TS molecule that normally lacks this domain, indicating that it functions as a degradation signal. Interestingly, degradation of an intrinsically unstable mutant form of TS, containing a Pro→Leu substitution at residue 303, is directed by C-terminal, rather than N-terminal, sequences. The implications of these findings for the control of TS expression, and for the regulation of protein degradation in general, are discussed. Abbreviations: CHL, Chinese hamster lung; CH2H4PteGlu, N5,N10-methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid; FdUMP, 5′-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridylic acid; FdUrd, 5′-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine; 5-FU, 5-fluorouracil; ODC, ornithine decarboxylase; TS, thymidylate synthase; P303L, TS P303L mutant; wtTS, wild-type TS
Tryptophan-norleucine 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles as cis peptide bond mimics: Investigation of the bioactive conformation of a potent and selective peptide for the cholecystokinin-B receptor

Abstract It has been suggested that the cis conformation about the TrpNMeNle amide bond is important in conferring high affinity and selectivity to CCK-B receptor ligands. Substitution of the cis amide bond mimic Trpψ(CH4)Nle into the peptide Gly-Trp-N-(Me)Nle-Asp-PheNH2 causes it to lose activity, suggesting that other structural effects of N-(Me)Nle incorporation may be important for high affinity selectivity for the CCK-B receptor.
Enigma of drug-induced altered states of consciousness among the !Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert.

Abstract This article examines data presented in Katz' book, Boiling Energy: Community Healing among the Kalahari Kung, particularly with regard to plant drugs present in the community during the 1968 visit. The author argues that the similarity of the Bushman trance state, kia and that of drug-induced altered states of consciousness has been paid too little attention in the research, and that an enigma currently exists with regard to the degree to which plant drugs may have influenced the !Kung trance phenomenon and healing beliefs. The author discusses the existing evidence for plant drug use based on Katz' research and the specimens currently on hand at the Harvard Botanical Museum herbarium, and presents a Table which contrasts drug-induced behaviors and ideologies of societies known or suspected to have used mind-altering drugs with similar behavior/beliefs of the!Kung. It is suggested that the influence of a number of psychoactive drugs may have played a much more pivotal role in Bushman behavior and belief than is generally acknowledged.
On an Example of Unpredictability in Human Behavior

Scriven’s example of essential unpredictability in human behavior goes like this. Assume a rational predictor P who wants to infer from information available to him the choice behavior of an individual C, where (i) C is choosing rationally and intelligently, (ii) C is a contrapredictive relative to P, i.e., C wishes to falsify any prediction made by P about his, C’s choice behavior, (iii) C knows the information available to P. It is easy to make these conditions more precise and then to prove that P cannot predict C’s behavior. Scriven fills out the bare bones of this example with many illustrations and comments, which I shall not attempt to sketch. His example of essential unpredictability is one I accept as in the main correct. The critical tenor of my remarks is to place the example in perspective from the standpoint of the theory of games and to challenge the significance of the example for the development of a quantitative and predictive behavioral science.
Monolithic ESD protection for distributed high speed applications in 28-nm CMOS technology

A monolithic electrostatic discharge (ESD) input/output (IO) cell with multi-discharge paths is introduced. This protection cell is demonstrated in a 28 nm high-k metal-gate CMOS technology. The cell is formed as an integral part of the circuit interface, synthesized with IO circuit components for in-situ protection in emerging high speed data rate signal processing systems-on-a-chip (SoCs). At the low IO operating voltage for these CMOS communication applications (<; 0.9 V), the protection cell rapidly actives complementary discharge paths during the different ESD stress modes at the IO (<; 100 ps), for achieving ESD robustness and low standing leakage at the highest circuit operation temperature (<; 10 nA at 125 C).
Commanders of Dutch East India Ships in the Eighteenth Century. By Jaap R. Bruijn. Translated by R. L. Robson-McKillop and R. W. Unger. (Woodbridge, England: Boydell Press, 2011. Pp. xiv, 336. $130.00.)

This prosopographic study is a slightly modified translation of the Dutch Schippers van de VOC in de achttiende eeuw aan de wal en op zee (Amsterdam, the Netherlands: De Bataafsche Leeuw, 2008), pa...
High-Order Interior Caustics Produced in Scattering of a Diagonally Incident Plane Wave by a Circular Cylinder

We examine scattering of a family of initially parallel diagonally incident rays by a dielectric circular cylinder and show that the interior and exterior caustics that occur are qualitatively identical to those produced at normal incidence. We find, however, that (1) varying the plane-wave tilt angle has the same effect on the caustics as varying the refractive index of the cylinder at normal incidence and (2) high-order interior caustics are visible because of larger internal-reflection Fresnel coefficients at diagonal incidence than at normal incidence. We also observe noncaustic ray trajectories produced by the sharp peaking of internal-reflection Fresnel coefficients at large ray impact parameters, as well as another class of internal caustics produced by scattering from inhomogeneities in our glass cylinder.
Illustrating Life-Span Development in Physical Competence

Many undergraduates have the misconception that there is an inevitable major decline in physical performance with increasing age. This article describes an activity to counteract this misconception and to illustrate how life-span changes in physical performance can be influenced by psychological factors. Students are asked to predict developmental changes in championship times for an athletic event—the 1-km bicycle time trial. Next, they are presented with the actual results and asked to rate their surprise at the discrepancy between their predictions and the actual results. Students' misconceptions are explored in a follow-up class discussion.
How to locate and communicate with overseas customers

Abstract This article examines the development of a computer messaging system designed to address the global information and communications needs of small exporting firms. The author illustrates how NETWORK, operated by world trade centers in 36 U.S. cities and 64 cities abroad, can be utilized by industrial firms to locate overseas customers and to communicate directly with them. The paper concludes with a number of case studies of 1988–1990 international marketing successes, each illustrating how this new telecommunication facility can be exploited.
Adjustable Speed Drive and Power Rectifier Harmonics-Their Effect on Power Systems Components

The use of the electrochemical rectifiers and the increasing application of ac and dc adjustable speed drives dictates that the effect of harmonic "pollution" on other equipment in the power system be considered. An example power system is examined, and the necessary calculations are performed to show the effect harmonics have and investigate the probability of a harmonic resonance situation occurring. The tolerances that various power system components have to harmonic currents and voltages are examined. These components include transformers, reactors, capacitors, cable, switchgear, relaying, generators, and motors.