cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissection of QTLs for Yield Traits Using Near Isogenic Lines Derived from Residual Heterozygous Lines in Rice

Three residual heterozygous lines (RHLs) carrying heterozygous segments in the intervals RM587–RM225, RM204–RM6119 and RM6119–RM402 on the short arm of rice chromosome 6, respectively, were selected from a rice population derived from an RHL for the interval RM587–RM402. Ten maternal homozygotes, 10 paternal homozygotes and 20 heterozygotes were selected from each of the F2 populations derived from the three RHLs. The three sets of near isogenic lines (NILs) were grown to detect the grain yield per plant, number of panicles per plant, number of filled grains per panicle and 1000-grain weight. With analysis on the phenotypic differences among the three genotype groups in each NIL set and those among overlapping chromosome segment substitution lines, three QTLs for number of filled grains per panicle and two QTLs for grain yield per plant were resolved. They were located in the intervals ranging from 0.66 Mb to 2.49 Mb. The additive effect was higher than the dominance effect at each locus. The allele for increasing the trait value was derived from the paternal parent at qNFGP6-1, and from the maternal alleles at other QTLs. Based on the present study, an approach for constructing new genetic resource to facilitate fine mapping of QTLs in rice was proposed.
The Computerization of Career Services: Critical Issues to Consider

Increasingly, career centers on university and college campuses are making use of the World Wide Web to help their users with a myriad of career related needs. This technological service delivery mode has many advantages that will be briefly reviewed in this article. As well, a computer emphasis has the potential for drastically changing career centers as we know them: their traffic patterns, staffing needs, resource procurement, and perhaps most importantly, their outcomes in the lives of the students who make use of them. This article discusses these changes and through a review of seven critical issues, challenges the reader to closely examine the implications for technology within their own career centers.
Differences in left ventricular ejection fraction and volumes measured at rest and poststress by gated sestamibi SPECT.

Some studies suggested that the poststress left ventricle ejection fraction (LV EF) is lower than rest LV EF in patients with stress-induced ischemia. By using a 2-day protocol and 30 mCi Tc-99m sestamibi, LV EF, end-systolic volume (ESV), and end-diastolic volume (EDV) were measured with gated SPECT. Of 99 eligible patients, 91 had technically adequate studies. Poststress LV EF minus rest LV EF was defined as ΔLV EF. ΔEDV and ΔESV were similarly defined. Rest and poststress LV EF (r = 0.89), EDV (r = 0.78), and ESV (r = 0.93) were highly correlated (P <.001). Rest LV EF, EDV, and ESV were not significantly different between patients with and without stress-induced ischemia. ΔLV EF was significantly lower in patients with stress-induced ischemia (-3.5% ± 4.5% vs -1.1% ± 4.7%, P ± .02). Mean LV EF poststress in ischemic patients was 55.0% ± 10.5% vs 61.2% ± 10.0% in nonischemic patients (P = .008). However, only 1 patient (3%) with ischemia had ΔLV EF that exceeded the 95% confidence limit of ΔLV EF for normal patients. Ischemia was significantly associated with increased ΔEDV and ΔESV (P <.01). Stress-induced ischemia is associated with poststress reduction in LV EF and increased poststress EDV and ESV. However, the effect of ischemia on the difference between poststress and rest EF measurements is modest and rarely exceeds the confidence limits in normal patients undergoing 2-day protocols. In most patients, poststress LV EF is an accurate reflection of rest LV EF.
Direct secondary-ion mass spectrometric analysis of mixtures separated by thin-layer chromatography and electrophoresis

Abstract Secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is used to sputter ions directly from thin-layr chromatograms in which components in a mixture have been separated. Mixtures of phenothiazine drugs and small peptides have been separated an detected by the chromatography/SIMS method. Phosphonium salts have been separated by thin-layer chromatography and imaged in situ by mass spectrometer. Organometallic compounds such as the transition metral acetylacetonates have been simialry determined. Mixtures that have been separated by gel electrophoresis are transferred by using a standard blotting procedure to a nitrocellulose support, which is then examined by secondary-ion mass spectrometry. A mixture of organic dyes was separated by gel electrophoresis, and characterized by secondary-ion mass spectrometry. The use of the mass spectral information to deconvolute overlapping components on the chromatogram is discussed, and the ultimate spatial resolution for molecular mapping is estimated as about 1 μm.
A neurotrophin axis in myeloma: TrkB and BDNF promote tumor-cell survival

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell neoplasm that is characterized by the clonal expansion of malignant plasma cells and is frequently associated with chromosomal translocations placing an oncogene under the control of the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer. Despite these pathogenic translocations, MM cells remain dependent on external cues for survival. We present evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors, and its high-affinity receptor, tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), contribute to these survival cues. MM cells express TrkB, and respond to BDNF by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-a PI3K target (PI3K/Akt) signaling cascades. Addition of BDNF protects human MM cell lines (HMCLs) from apoptosis induced by dexamethasone or bortezomib and prolongs the survival of primary MM cells cultured alone or with human bone marrow (BM) stroma. As BDNF and TrkB are expressed by osteoblasts, stromal cells, and endothelial cells within the BM microenvironment, a BDNF-TrkB axis may be critical to the interactions of MM with bone and stroma that contribute to MM tumor progression. Finally, BDNF is expressed by malignant plasma cells isolated from a subset of patients with MM, as well as by most HMCLs, suggesting a potential role for this neurotrophin axis in autocrine as well as paracrine support of MM.
Validation of linked QTL for bacterial cold water disease resistance and spleen size on rainbow trout chromosome Omy19

Abstract Bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) is caused by infection with Flavobacterium psychrophilum , and outbreaks cause significant economic losses in salmonid aquaculture. Previously, we identified a major QTL for BCWD resistance on rainbow trout chromosome Omy19 as well as a QTL for spleen size (SPLW = spleen weight and SPLI = spleen index) which in naive fish is a surrogate indicator of BCWD resistance. The objective of this study was to validate the BCWD resistance and spleen size QTL in a subsequent generation and investigate whether the correlation between BCWD resistance and spleen size loci on Omy19 was due to close linkage or pleiotropy. We designed four full-sib matings whose offspring were evaluated for BCWD resistance, body weight, SPLW and SPLI. A total of 800 offspring were genotyped with seven microsatellite markers from Omy19. Our analyses confirmed the presence of QTL for BCWD and spleen size on Omy19. Our findings also suggest that BCWD resistance and spleen size are not influenced by a single pleiotropic QTL on Omy19 as the QTL were separately inherited in the families studied. These data increase our understanding of the genetic basis of rainbow trout BCWD resistance.
The zebrafish organizer

Signals from the organizer play a crucial role in patterning the vertebrate embryo. Recent molecular analysis of zebrafish mutations has established an essential role for BMP2 and chordin in organizer function and has identified one-eyed pinhead as a novel EGF-like gene involved in prechordal plate and endoderm formation. In addition, embryological studies have suggested that the zebrafish organizer is induced by extraembryonic cues and have defined two novel organizing centers that pattern the nervous system along the anterior-posterior axes.
Right and left lung perfusion: in vitro and in vivo validation with oblique-angle, velocity-encoded cine MR imaging.

Quantification of pulmonary flow is clinically important in the evaluation of both congenital and acquired heart disease. Velocity-encoded cine magnetic resonance (MR) is a promising technique for measuring velocity and volume of blood flow. The authors report validation of the accuracy of velocity-encoded cine MR for measurement of oblique-angle flow in vitro, with use of a constant-flow phantom, and in vivo, with nine healthy volunteers in whom velocities were measured separately in the main, right, and left pulmonary arteries. Findings at MR were compared with findings at Doppler echocardiography. Velocity measurements in a flow phantom with cine MR correlated well with direct measurements at Doppler echocardiography. Velocity-encoded cine MR enabled accurate and reproducible measurement of absolute blood flow in healthy subjects. Oblique-gradient flow encoding (ie, flow-encoding direction coinciding with the true direction of flow) was the method of choice for velocity measurements in the right and le...
Effects of infantile overnutrition and adulthood high fat feeding on adult body weight regulation in rats

The effects of infantile overnutrition and adulthood high fat feeding on adult body weight and composition regulation as well as carbohydrate metabolism were examined in rats. Prenatal overnutrition by unilateral uterine horn ligation produced heavier but not fatter newborn rats than normally nourished newborn rats. Postnatal small litter size did not produce any noticeable increase in body weight or % fat at weaning. In adulthood, rats fed a high fat (HF) diet gained more weight and had more body fat than their chow (CH) fed counterparts. Nevertheless, obesity produced by HF feeding did not impair glucose tolerance. After withdrawal of HF diet when only CH diet was available, formerly HF fed rats had similar body weights as CH fed rats, but they still had more body fat mass than CH fed rats. Therefore, infantile overnutrition did not predispose adult obesity while adult feeding practice did. Even though the obese individuals normalized their body weights, the change in body composition may be permanent.
Increasing Severity of Phytoplankton Nutrient Limitation Following Reductions in Point Source Inputs to the Tidal Freshwater Segment of the James River Estuary

We conducted monthly bioassay experiments to characterize light and nutrient use efficiency of phytoplankton communities from the chlorophyll-a maximum located in the tidal freshwater region of the James River Estuary. Bioassay results were interpreted in the context of seasonal and inter-annual variation in nutrient delivery and biomass yield using recent and long-term data. Bioassay experiments suggest that nutrient limitation of phytoplankton production has increased over the past 20 years coinciding with reductions in point source inputs and estuarine dissolved nutrient concentrations. Despite increasing nutrient stress, chlorophyll concentrations have not declined due to more efficient nutrient usage. Greater CHLa yield (per unit of N and P) may be due to feedback mechanisms by which the presence of toxin-producing cyanobacteria inhibits grazing by benthic and pelagic filter-feeders. Seasonal patterns in nutrient limitation indicate that phytoplankton in the James respond to variations in inflow concentrations of dissolved nutrients. This association gives rise to an atypical pattern whereby the severity of nutrient limitation diminishes with low discharge in late summer due to minimal dilution of local point sources inputs by riverine discharge. We suggest that this may be a common feature of estuaries located in proximity to urbanized areas.
Mechanical properties of directionally freeze-cast titanium foams

Abstract Titanium foams with aligned, elongated pores were created by directional freeze-casting of aqueous slurries of titanium powders, followed by ice sublimation and powder sintering. Increasing sintering times from 8 to 24 h and decreasing powder size from 20 to 10 μm resulted in improved densification within cell walls and decreased overall foam porosity, with a concomitant increase in compressive stiffness, yield strength and energy absorption. A simple model for foam stiffness and strength is in general agreement with experimental measurements of strength but overpredicts stiffness, probably because it does not take into account micro-plasticity occurring during measurements.
Primary Actinomycosis of an Extremity: A Case Report and Review

Primary infection of an extremity is an uncommon feature of actinomycosis and can readily be confused with actinomycetoma caused by aerobic actinomycetes such as Nocardia and Streptomyces. A case of primary actinomycosis of the leg is reported, and 35 cases published in the English-language literature are reviewed. There were 14 cases of upper extremity infections and 22 cases of lower extremity infections. Antecedent trauma had occurred in 21 cases. Lesions began in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, bone, and joint space. Spread to contiguous structures was characteristic, and most lesions eventually involved all of the aforementioned structures. The lesions were typical of actinomycosis with sinus formation and granules in the pus. Cultures were positive in 17 cases. Surgical therapy was necessary in most instances; penicillin remains the drug of choice. Pending results of culturing, a lesion with granules of branching gram-positive bacteria would best be treated empirically with penicillin and a sulfonamide. Prognosis is excellent.
Eine neue Trochoideus-Art mit Überblick über die asiatischen Formen (Col. Endomychidae)

Aus Vietnam wird als bisher unbekannte Endomychide Trochoideus tonkinensis vorgestellt sowie eine Bestimmungstabelle uber die asiatischen Trochoideus-Arten aufgestellt.
A 32nm Westmere-EX Xeon ® enterprise processor

The next-generation enterprise Xeon® processor [1] consists of 10 Westmere 32nm cores [2] and a shared inclusive L3 cache (LLC) integrated on a monolithic die, with link-based I/Os. This paper focuses on the innovations and circuit optimizations over the predecessor [3] targeting idle power reduction, robust high-speed I/O links, and performance per watt improvements. The processor is implemented in 32nm CMOS using high-κ metal gate transistors and nine copper interconnect layers [4].
The influence of adhesive constitutive parameters in cohesive zone finite element models of adhesively bonded joints

The influence of adhesive parameters on the outcome of cohesive zone finite element simulations is reported. The simulations are of adhesively bonded joint configurations that are used to characterize joint performance (including the double cantilever beam, the end notch flexure, and the single lap joint). The coupon level experiments are often used individually to determine a single parameter in an adhesive constitutive model (such as a cohesive strength or toughness). In this study, the influence of strength, toughness, and other parameters are considered simultaneously in examining their effect on the finite element (FE) output for each test. In specifying input parameters, the assumed shape of the cohesive traction law is also considered. It is shown that the double cantilever beam model output is dependent primarily on one parameter, whereas the end notch flexure and single lap joint models are dependent on multiple adhesive parameters. By extension, these dependencies require consideration when mapping the results of physical experiments into a set of adhesive model inputs. It is also shown that the shape of the traction law appears insignificant to the outcome of the models. Sensitivities to input parameters are illuminated through kriging analysis of the finite element results; the parameter values are chosen via Latin hypercube sampling. Surrogate models are created and are used to quantify the sensitivities. A mapping technique is described for evaluating the output of physical tests.
Blending Polysiloxane Glass Resins to Produce Optical Films with a Specific Refractive Index

Commercially available polysiloxane resins can be blended either in the solid state or in solution to produce optically transparent films whose refractive index is a linear function of the weight percent of one component. Useful applications for these “glass resins” include protective coatings for hydroscopic optical crystals, antireflective or index-matching films, and homeotropic alignment layers for liquid crystal devices.
Acid mucopolysaccharides (glycosaminoglycans) in normal human kidneys and in kidneys of patients with mucopolysaccharidoses

Abstract The acid mucopolysaccharide content, composition and molecular weight distribution in cortex, medulla and papilla of kidneys from normal subjects and from one patient each with mucopolysaccharidosis type I (Hurler) and type II (Hunter) were determined. It was found that heparitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid were the major acid mucopolysaccharides in normal human kidneys, the former predominating in the cortex and the latter in the medulla and papilla. The total amount of acid mucopolysaccharides in the kidneys from the patients with mucopolysaccharidoses was more than ten times higher than in the unaffected controls. In addition, there was an increase of 15- to 50-fold in the dermatan sulfate, and of 3- to 5-fold in the heparin sulfate content and a drastic shift in the molecular weight distribution towards smaller molecules.
Density Functional Theory Used in Structure Determinations and Raman Band Assignments for Pseudoisocyanine and Its Aggregate

We have performed quantum chemical calculations for the optimized structure and Raman vibrational frequenciesbased on density functional theory at the B3LYP level and using the 6-31G(dp) basis setfor the cyanine dye cation 1,1‘-diethyl-2,2‘-quinocyanine, also referred to as pseudoisocyanine (PIC). We have ascertained that the equilibrium structure of ground-state PIC has near C2 symmetry, with a 46° twist between the planes of the two quinoline moieties that are positioned about the central methine carbon. Vibrational mode analysis of the calculated Raman spectrum suggests that many of the experimentally observed Raman bands between 500 and 1800 cm-1 for monomeric PIC are associated with totally symmetric in-plane deformations of phenyl and/or pyridyl rings, while several weak bands below 500 cm-1 are attributed to out-of-plane doming and ruffling of quinoline macrocycles. We further have noted that (1) upon comparison of the Raman spectrum of PIC monomer with the Raman spectrum measured for aggregated PI...
The impact of obesity on pentraxin 3 and inflammatory milieu to acute aerobic exercise.

Abstract Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) has recently been linked to obesity-associated inflammation, serving as a cardioprotective modulator against cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aerobic exercise has been shown to enhance plasma PTX3 levels; however, the impact of obesity on PTX3 response to exercise remains unknown. Objective Therefore, this study sought to examine whether obese subjects would have an attenuated plasma PTX3 response compared to normal-weight subjects following acute aerobic exercise. The relationship of plasma PTX3 with pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) was also examined. Methods Twenty healthy subjects (10 obese [4 males and 6 females] and 10 normal-weight [4 males, 6 females]) performed 30 min of continuous submaximal aerobic exercise. Results At baseline, obese subjects exhibited approximately 40% lower plasma PTX3 and a 7-fold greater IL-6 concentration compared to normal-weight subjects. In response to exercise, no difference was observed in PTX3 or IL-6 as indicated by area-under-the-curve “with respect to increase” (AUCi) analyses. Furthermore, PTX3 AUCi was positively correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness levels (VO 2max ) (r = 0.594, p = 0.006), even after controlling for body mass index. Conclusion These findings suggest that in addition to obesity-associated complications, low cardiorespiratory fitness levels could impact exercise-induced PTX3 elevations, thereby potentially diminishing PTX3’s effects of anti-inflammation and/or cardioprotection.
Circadian organization in cockroaches: Effects of temperature cycles on locomotor activity

Abstract The effects of various temperature cycles on the locomotor activity of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae were investigated. While bilateral ablation of the optic lobes abolished the free-running activity rhythm in constant conditions, rhythmicity was exhibited by lobeless animals placed in temperature cycles. The rhythms were driven by cycles as short as 12 h and as long as 48 h without evidence of frequency division or frequency demultiplication. The phase relationship between activity onset and the temperature cycle was dependent on both the relative durations of the “warm” and “cold” phases of the cycles and on the period of the cycle. Computer simulations indicated that these properties of the rhythm can be explained by proposing that activity is controlled by a damped oscillator, located outside the optic lobes, that can be forced by cycles of temperature.
Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training Is No Better Than Overground Training for Individuals with Chronic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

AbstractBackground: Body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) has produced mixed results compared with other therapeutic techniques. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether an intensive intervention (intensive mobility training) including BWSTT provides superior gait, balance, and mobility outcomes compared with a similar intervention with overground gait training in place of BWSTT. Methods: Forty-three individuals with chronic stroke (mean [SD] age, 61.5 [13.5] years; mean [SD] time since stroke, 3.3 [3.8] years), were randomized to a treatment (BWSTT, n = 23) or control (overground gait training, n = 20) group. Treatment consisted of 1 hour of gait training; 1 hour of balance activities; and 1 hour of strength, range of motion, and coordination for 10 consecutive weekdays (30 hours). Assessments (step length differential, self-selected and fast walking speed, 6-minute walk test, Berg Balance Scale [BBS], Dynamic Gait Index [DGI], Activities-specific Balance Confidence [ABC] ...
Probing inhibitory effects of nanocrystalline cellulose: inhibition versus surface charge.

NCC derived from different biomass sources was probed for its plausible cytotoxicity by electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). Two different cell lines, Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 insect cells and Chinese hamster lung fibroblast V79, were exposed to NCC and their spreading and viability were monitored and quantified by ECIS. Based on the 50%-inhibition concentration (ECIS50), none of the NCC produced was judged to have any significant cytotoxicity on these two cell lines. However, NCC derived from flax exhibited the most pronounced inhibition on Sf9 compared to hemp and cellulose powder. NCCs from flax and hemp pre-treated with pectate lyase were also less inhibitory than NCCs prepared from untreated flax and hemp. Results also suggested a correlation between the inhibitory effect and the carboxylic acid contents on the NCC.
The normal genome in twentieth-century evolutionary thought

Abstract The Human Genome Project (HGP) has been criticised from an evolutionary perspective for three reasons: completely ignoring genetic variation; improperly treating either all or some genetic variation as deviation from a norm; and mistakenly seeking to define species in terms of essential properties possessed by all and only member organisms. The first claim is unfounded; the second and third claims are more on target. Nevertheless, it is a mistake to use the typological–population distinction to oppose molecular genetics and evolutionary genetics in order to characterise HGP mapping and sequencing aims, especially the production of a DNA reference sequence, as ‘anti-evolutionary’ and ‘pre-Darwinian.’ These aims are consistent with certain strands in twentieth-century evolutionary thought: Muller’s classical theory, Kimura’s neutral and ‘effectively neutral’ theories, and, to a lesser extent, Dobzhansky’s balance theory of the genetic structure of natural populations. In practice, population-based approaches to human genetic variation are similarly vulnerable to charges of ‘typological’ and ‘essentialist’ thinking in their treatment of genetic variation as deviation. This means that the Human Genome Diversity Initiative will not provide a population-based panacea for an overly typological HGP, as its proponents contend. Substituting related, and less rhetorically-charged, conceptual, empirical, and metaphysical distinctions for the typological–population distinction furnishes a better way to assess the concept of the normal genome from an evolutionary perspective.
Effects of Heat‐Stable Alakaline Protease Activity of Atlantic Menhaden (Brevootii tyrannus) on Surimi Gels

Heat stable protease isolated from the sarcoplasmic fraction of menhaden (Brevoorti tyrannus) muscle tissue was characterized as to optimum temperature and pH against casein substrate and its degradative action on actomyosin and surimi during heating. The optimum conditions for activity were 60°C at a pH of 7.5 to 8.0. Activity dropped off remarkably at temperatures below 45°C or above 70°C and when pH was below 7.0 or above 8.0. The enzyme(s) was capable of degrading actomyosin as observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis. This implicated a causative role for this protease system in the texture degradation observed during thermal processing of menhaden surimi at temperatures of 50-70°C.
Shake-up peak positions and intensities by many-body theory methods

Abstract The valence shell X-ray photoelectron spectrum of N 2 is calculated using the equations-of-motion—Green's function method. The inclusion of shake-up basis operator configurations in the primary operator space along with the simple ionization operator configurations allows for the calculation of shake-up peak positions on an equal footing with the simple ionization energies. The important shake-up basis operator configurations are identified using configuration selection techniques similar to those which have been successfully employed in large scale configuration interaction problems, thus minimizing the size of the matrices to be diagonalized. The relative peak intensities are calculated within the plane wave approximation. The intensity equations are analyzed indicating that the relative peak intensities are more sensitive to ground state correlation effects than the peak positions. Modifications of the theory to improve the calculations of shake-up energies are discussed.
Visual displays and contextual presentations in computer-based instruction

The effects of two instructional strategies, visual display and contextual presentation, were investigated in the acquisition of electronic troubleshooting skills using computer-based instruction. Three types of visual displays (animation, static graphics with motion cues, and static graphics without motion cues) were used to represent structures and functions of electronic circuits and trouble-shooting procedures. The first hypothesis was that animation would be more effective than static graphics, but that static graphics with adequate motional cues representing the dynamic aspects of the task would accomplish results similar to animation. Results supported this hypothesis. The second hypothesis was that context-dependent instruction would be more efficient than context-independent instruction for solving problems in similar contexts, but that context independent instruction would be more effective in solving problems encountered in different contexts. The results supported this hypothesis. A general conclusion of this study is that the use of visual displays and contextual presentation should be based on the learning requirements of the task and the expected roles of the strategy in the learning.
Top-level ontological categories

Abstract Philosophers have spent 25 centuries debating ontological categories. Their insights are directly applicable to the analysis, design, and specification of the ontologies used in knowledge-based systems. This paper surveys some of the ontological questions that arise in artificial intelligence, some answers that have been proposed by various philosophers, and an application of the philosophical analysis to the clarification of some current issues in AI. Two philosophers who have developed the most complete systems of categories are Charles Sanders Peirce and Alfred North Whitehead. Their analyses suggest a basic structure of categories that can provide some guidelines for the design of AI systems.
Evidence for alkoxy radical isomerization in photooxidations of C4C6 alkanes under simulated atmospheric conditions

Abstract We have calculated approximate room temperature rate constants for intramolecular hydrogen shift isomerizations of alkyl, alkoxy and alkylperoxy radical intermediates in photochemical smog and found that alkoxy radicals with δ hydrogens appear to undergo 1,5 hydrogen shifts at ambient conditions. Product distributions observed during irradiations of alkane (n-butane, n-pentane and n-hexane)NOxair systems in two quite-different ≈6000-liter environmental chambers were found to be consistent with this prediction. For example, in the n-pentaneNO xair system the observed large yields of 3-pentanone relative to 2-pentanone were consistent with room temperature rate constants which we have estimated for the corresponding hydrogen shift isomerizations. While such isomerizations have been well recognized in studies of free radicals and high temperature hydrocarbon oxidations, they are not taken into account in current kinetic mechanisms for alkane oxidation under ambient atmospheric conditions. This has implications for the construction of computer models of photo-chemical smog formation.
Sexual cell fate reprogramming in the ovary by DMRT1

Summary Transcription factors related to the insect sex-determination gene doublesex (DMRT proteins) control sex determination and/or sexual differentiation in diverse metazoans and are implicated in transitions between sex-determining mechanisms during vertebrate evolution [1]. In mice, Dmrt1 is required for male gonadal differentiation in somatic cells and germ cells [2–4]. DMRT1 also maintains male gonadal sex: its loss, even in adults, can trigger sexual cell-fate reprogramming in which male Sertoli cells transdifferentiate into their female equivalents—granulosa cells—and testicular tissue reorganizes to a more ovarian morphology [5]. Here we use a conditional Dmrt1 transgene to show that Dmrt1 is not only necessary but also sufficient to specify male cell identity in the mouse gonad. DMRT1 expression in the ovary silenced the female sex-maintenance gene Foxl2 and reprogrammed juvenile and adult granulosa cells into Sertoli-like cells, triggering formation of structures resembling male seminiferous tubules. DMRT1 can silence Foxl2 even in the absence of the testis-determining genes Sox8 and Sox9. mRNA profiling found that DMRT1 activates many testicular genes and downregulates ovarian genes and single-cell RNA sequencing in transdifferentiating cells identified dynamically expressed candidate mediators of this process. Strongly upregulated genes were highly enriched on chromosome X, consistent with sexually antagonistic functions. This study provides an in vivo example of single-gene reprogramming of cell sexual identity. Our findings suggest a reconsideration of mechanisms involved in human disorders of sex development (DSDs) and empirically support evolutionary models in which loss or gain of Dmrt1 function promotes establishment of new vertebrate sex-determination systems.
Lower Quarter Screening for Skeletal Malalignment—Suggestions for Orthotics and Shoewear

Skeletal malalignments of the lower quarter, deformities within a bone or at a joint, may be the primary cause of musculoskeletal patient problems. Skeletal malalignments also may sustain the presence of a musculoskeletal patient problem that has some other causal mechanism. A screening exam for skeletal alignment of the lower quarter may assist clinicians in identifying skeletal malalignments that are associated with a musculoskeletal complaint. The purposes of this paper are to: 1) describe components for a skeletal alignment screening exam, 2) analyze how lower quarter malalignments may influence lower quarter function and contribute to the development of musculoskeletal pathology, and 3) suggest general characteristics of foot orthoses and shoes that may assist in the management of musculoskeletal patient problems of the lower quarter.
Agricultural trade, commodity programs, and income protection in the United States

Abstract Rodrik’s hypothesis is defined as the positive association between an economy’s foreign trade exposure and the size of its government. “Wagner’s law” is said to hold when government spending grows in proportion to output. The objective of this paper is to determine whether the government transfers to farmers in the United States between 1965 and 1995, considering major program crops such as wheat, cotton, and feed grains, were a product of the development of foreign markets for these commodities, a product of “Wagner’s law,” or a product of the protection of low-income farmers and political interest groups lobbying. Factors that explain these government spending patterns are protection of low-income farmers and the influence of political (lobbying) groups.
Characterization of the surface properties of iron oxides

Abstract A series of iron oxides, α-Fe2O3 and α-FeOOH, which have been identified as products formed during corrosion, have been characterized with respect to their surface properties and the effect of surface treatments by water adsorption isotherm measurements. The pretreatment conditions included high-temperature activation up to 400°C, hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) treatment, and treatment with methanol. The results show that for both iron oxides dehydroxylation of the surface occurs partially at 400°C, followed by rehydroxylation after exposure to water vapor at room temperature. The HMDS treatment was found to effectively hydrophobe the surface to an extent which is limited by the bulky nature of this molecule, where the cross-sectional area of this molecule is estimated at 40 A2. Experimental conditions were found whereby a relatively small molecule, such as methanol, could interact chemically and quantitatively with surface hydroxyls to hydrophobe the surface more effectively. The stability of this type of treatment for extended periods of time is currently under further investigation.
Synthesis and Characterization of Chromium-Isothiocyanate-4-Methylpyridine Complexes

Abstract The synthesis and single crystal X-ray structure of trans -[HNC 6 H 7 ][Cr(NCS) 4 (NC 6 H 7 ) 2 ] ( 1 ) and mer -[Cr(NCS) 3 (NC 6 H 7 ) 3 ] ( 2 ) are reported. Compound 1 was synthesized by refluxing chromium powder and thiourea in 4-methylpyridine. The isothiocyanate ligand is believed to be generated from the isomerization of thiourea to ammonium thiocyanate during synthesis. Compound 2 was prepared from CrCl 3 and KSCN in 4-methylpyridine. The reaction conditions for both compounds yielded a mixture of [Cr(NCS) x (NC 6 H 7 ) 6− x ] 3− x isomers ( x = 0–6), which were analyzed by HPLC. The thermal properties of trans -[HNC 6 H 7 ][Cr(NCS) 4 (NC 6 H 7 ) 2 ] were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry–mass spectroscopy (TGA/DSC–MS), and the compound was found to oxidize to CrO 2 in three major weight loss steps when heated to 1000 °C in dry air.
Aligning Paper Tests With Multimedia Instruction

Although instructional methods are moving in ever greater number to a multimedia base, testing is not. What principles should be considered in correcting this misalignment?
Personalized Genomes and Cardiovascular Disease

The emerging ability to obtain a personalized genome, that is, to perform whole-genome sequencing to determine the entirety of the DNA sequence in an individual patient’s chromosomes, holds out the promise of transforming patient care by allowing physicians to more accurately predict the risk of disease and to tailor therapy to that individual. Although no established applications of personalized genomics in cardiovascular medicine yet exist, there are at least two emerging applications that may ultimately become everyday practice. In the first application, DNA sequence variants that have been found to be associated with cardiovascular disease may be incorporated in risk-prediction algorithms to more accurately forecast whether patients will develop disease. In the second application, known as pharmacogenomics, DNA sequence variants that have been found to be associated with either beneficial effects or adverse effects of a medication may be used to help decide which medications or dosages of medications to prescribe to patients. It remains to be seen whether either of these applications will prove to be both cost effective as well as of clinical benefit.
A New Enantioselective Approach to Total Synthesis of the Securinega Alkaloids: Application to (−)‐Norsecurinine and Phyllanthine

An inexpensive proline derivative and chiral control feature in the total synthesis of securinega alkaloids (-)-norsecurinine (1) and phyllanthine (2). Key steps in the synthesis of 1 include an intramolecular ketonitrile coupling and application of a radical-based generation of N-acylimines. The total synthesis of 2 utilizes a stereoselective imino Diels - Alder construction of the methoxypiperidine ring.
Aquifer Transmissivity from Surficial Electrical Methods

Recent advances in the automatic inversion of vertical electrical sounding data offer the opportunity to describe the relationship of the resistivity of a granular aquifer to its hydraulic conductivity. This type of relationship, together with aquifer thickness, can be used to determine the transmissivity of the aquifer. Vertical electrical soundings and pump-test data along the axis of a glacial outwash aquifer in central Illinois have indicated an inverse relationship between aquifer resistivity and hydraulic conductivity. This relationship has been attributed to differences in sorting of the outwash sediments. But studies of granular aquifers deposited in other geologic environments are needed before meaningful generalizations can be made.
Geomorphic and hydrologic dynamics of zero‐order basins

The 1987 International Symposium on Erosion and Sedimentation in the Pacific Rim, held August 3–7, 1987, in Corvallis, Oreg., included a special session on the geomorphic and hydrologic dynamics of zero-order drainage basins. “Zero-order basin” is one of several terms used to describe unchanneled swales or hollows that may occupy considerable areas of higher-order drainage basins. These basins serve as important accumulation sites for water, sediment, and accompanying contaminants that subsequently may enter streams. Moreover, in many terrains along the Pacific rim, zero-order basins are significant geologic hazard sites in which rapid landslides and debris flows commonly begin. Widespread recognition o f the importance of zero-order basins has occurred only within the last 15 years, and this special session was aimed at collecting and assessing some of the pertinent knowledge that has been gained to date.
Tuning membership functions in local evolutionary learning of fuzzy rule bases

The local evolutionary generation of fuzzy rule bases employs independent searches in local regions throughout the input space and combines the local results to produce a global model. The paper presents a rule base tuning strategy that is compatible with the local evolutionary generation of fuzzy rule bases. Rule base tuning is accomplished by modifying the decomposition of the input domain based on the distribution and values of the training data. A local tuning algorithm must maintain a correspondence between competing rules in the population. An experimental suite has been developed to exhibit the potential for model optimization using rule base tuning. of particular interest is the ability of rule base tuning to compensate for the effects of sparse data.
HIV-1 Virus-Like Particles Bearing Pure Env Trimers Expose Neutralizing Epitopes but Occlude Nonneutralizing Epitopes

Hypothetically, since native HIV-1 Env trimers are exclusively recognized by neutralizing antibodies, they might induce the neutralizing antibodies in a vaccine setting. This idea has not been evaluated due to the difficulty of separating trimers from nonfunctional Env (uncleaved gp160 and gp41 stumps). The latter are immunodominant and induce nonneutralizing antibodies. We previously showed that nonfunctional Env can be selectively cleared from virus-like particle (VLP) surfaces by enzyme digests (E. T. Crooks, T. Tong(,) K. Osawa, and J. M. Binley, J.Virol. 85:5825, 2011). Here, we investigated the effects of these digests on the antigenicity of VLPs and their sensitivity to neutralization. Before digestion, WT VLPs (bearing wild-type Env) and UNC VLPs (bearing uncleaved gp160) were recognized by various Env-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), irrespective of their neutralizing activity, a result which is consistent with the presence of nonfunctional Env. After digestion, only neutralizing MAbs recognized WT VLPs, consistent with selective removal of nonfunctional Env (i.e., "trimer VLPs"). Digests eliminated the binding of all MAbs to UNC VLPs, again consistent with removal of nonfunctional Env. An exception was MAb 2F5, which weakly bound to digested UNC VLPs and bald VLPs (bearing no Env), perhaps due to lipid cross-reactivity. Trimer VLPs were infectious, and their neutralization sensitivity was largely comparable to that of undigested WT VLPs. However, they were ∼100-fold more sensitive to the MAbs 4E10 and Z13e1, suggesting increased exposure of the gp41 base. Importantly, a scatterplot analysis revealed a strong correlation between MAb binding and neutralization of trimer VLPs. This suggests that trimer VLPs bear essentially pure native trimer that should allow its unfettered evaluation in a vaccine setting.
Free-molecule mobility of polyhedra and other convex hard-bodies

Abstract The free-molecule drag of hard convex bodies can be written in dyadic notation in terms of two purely geometrical integrals over the closed body surface, A =∫d A and N =A −1 ∫ nn d A , where n is the outward normal to the surface element d A at a given point. For sufficiently symmetric bodies, N is isotropic, and the drag is exactly proportional to the total surface area A , with a proportionality coefficient β independent of the object's geometry and equal to the well-known value β s for a sphere. This result yields effortlessly the drag for all regular and semi-regular polyhedra, previously known only for cubes. β differs generally from β s for bodies with anisotropic drag tensors; but it is a local maximum with respect to (small) arbitrary shape changes away from that of any body with an isotropic drag tensor. Hence, moderate departures from drag isotropy shift β very slightly below β s . This maximum property provides a rationale for the common assumption of an approximate relation between area and drag. However, the relation involves the total surface area rather than projected areas, and leads to accurate predictions only for bodies with moderately anisotropic drag tensors. The tensorial method introduced leads also to simple results for less symmetric bodies, such as pyramids, double pyramids, parallelepipeds and axisymmetric figures. When collisions are predominantly inelastic, the ratio β / β s departs far less from unity than for elastic collisions. Similar properties are obtained for the thermophoretic force.
Fcγ Receptor Cross-linking Stimulates Cell Proliferation of Macrophages via the ERK Pathway

Macrophage proliferation can be stimulated by phagocytosis and by cross-linking of Fcγ receptors (FcγR). In this study, we investigated the role of FcγR and the signaling cascades that link FcγR activation to cell cycle progression. This effect was mediated by the activating FcγR, including FcγRI and III, via their Fcγ subunit. Further investigation revealed that the cell cycle machinery was activated by FcγR cross-linking through downstream signaling events. Specifically, we identified the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway as a mediator of signals from FcγR activation to cyclin D1 expression, because cyclin D1 expression associated with FcγR cross-linking was attenuated by specific inhibitors of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, PD98059 and U0126 and the spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitor, Piceatannol. Our findings establish a link between the ERK activation and cell cycle signaling pathways, thus providing a causal mechanism by which FcγR activation produces a mitogenic effect that stimulates macrophage proliferation. Macrophage mitosis following FcγR activation could potentially affect the outcome of macrophage interactions with intracellular pathogens. In addition, our results suggest the possibility of new treatment options for certain infectious diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, and leukemias based on interference with FcγR-stimulated macrophage cell proliferation.
Generating phenotypical erroneous human behavior to evaluate human-automation interaction using model checking

Breakdowns in complex systems often occur as a result of system elements interacting in unanticipated ways. In systems with human operators, human-automation interaction associated with both normative and erroneous human behavior can contribute to such failures. Model-driven design and analysis techniques provide engineers with formal methods tools and techniques capable of evaluating how human behavior can contribute to system failures. This paper presents a novel method for automatically generating task analytic models encompassing both normative and erroneous human behavior from normative task models. The generated erroneous behavior is capable of replicating Hollnagel's zero-order phenotypes of erroneous action for omissions, jumps, repetitions, and intrusions. Multiple phenotypical acts can occur in sequence, thus allowing for the generation of higher order phenotypes. The task behavior model pattern capable of generating erroneous behavior can be integrated into a formal system model so that system safety properties can be formally verified with a model checker. This allows analysts to prove that a human-automation interactive system (as represented by the model) will or will not satisfy safety properties with both normative and generated erroneous human behavior. We present benchmarks related to the size of the statespace and verification time of models to show how the erroneous human behavior generation process scales. We demonstrate the method with a case study: the operation of a radiation therapy machine. A potential problem resulting from a generated erroneous human action is discovered. A design intervention is presented which prevents this problem from occurring. We discuss how our method could be used to evaluate larger applications and recommend future paths of development.
From Balance to Concert: A Study of International Security Cooperation

International anarchy and the security dilemma make cooperation among sovereign states difficult. Transformations of balance-of-power systems into concerts tend to occur after large antihegemonic wars. Such wars undermine the assumptions supporting a balance-ofpower system and alter the actors' payoffs in ways that encourage cooperation. The logic developed in “Cooperation under the Security Dilemma” holds: largely because of the increased costs that will be incurred if the grand coalition breaks up, states have greater incentives to cooperate with each other, fewer reasons to fear the consequences of others' defections, and fewer reasons to defect themselves. Cooperation is further facilitated by mechanisms that increase each state's ability to see what others are doing, and to gain “timely warning” of the possibility that the others will defect.