cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electronic spectra of flavin in different redox and protonation states: a computational perspective on the effect of the electrostatic environment

Flavins are versatile molecules due to their ability to exist in multiple redox and protonation states. At physiological conditions, they are usually encountered either as oxidized quinones, neutral semiquinones, anionic semiquinones, neutral hydroquinones, or anionic hydroquinones. We compute the electronic near-UV/vis spectra for flavin in each of these five states. Specifically, we compute vertical, adiabatic, and vibronic excitations for all excited states that have wavelengths longer than 300 nm. We employ the calculations to assign the peaks in the corresponding experimental UV/vis spectra from literature. We also compare the effect of polar and non-polar solvents on the spectra using a polarizable continuum model. Finally, we construct “electrostatic spectral tuning maps” for prominent peaks in each of the five states. These maps qualitatively describe how the flavin electronic spectra will be shifted by an anisotropic electrostatic environment such as a protein. Understanding how flavin's UV/vis absorption spectrum is modulated by its environment can aid in experiments employing flavin as a probe of internal electrostatics of a protein and in engineering new color variants of flavoproteins.
Globalization and comparative compositional inequality

Globalization has been one of the biggest driving forces of the last half century. There has been substantial disagreement about the impact that increased international integration has on income inequality. Though most agree that globalization positively affects economic output, it is no surprise that it leads to relative winners and losers within nations. The question that remains is where in the income distribution are these relative gains and losses occurring? We offer a broader picture of globalization's effects on inequality by using a dynamic compositional approach to test the impact of globalization and relative factor endowments on the composition of income. Using data from four countries, we model the effects of globalization on quantiles of the income distribution. Our findings suggest that globalization has substantial (and divergent) effects across income strata, and that these effects differ across nations based on relative factor endowments.
Are Current Seedling Demographics Poised to Regenerate Northern US Forests

Securing desirable regeneration is essential to sustainable forest management, yet failures are common. Detailed seedling measurements from a forest inventory across 24 northern US states were examined for plausible regeneration outcomes following overstory removal. The examination included two fundamental regeneration objectives: 1) stand replacement- securing future forest and 2) species maintenance- securing upper canopy species. Almost half the plots lacked adequate seedlings to regenerate a stand after canopy removal and over half risked compositional shifts. Based on those advance reproduction demographics, regeneration difficulties could occur on two-thirds of the plots examined. The remaining one-third were regeneration-ready. However, compared to historical norms, increased small-tree mortality rates reduces that proportion. Not all forest types rely on advance reproduction and results varied among the forest types examined. Some variability was associated with browsing intensity, as areas of high deer browsing had a lower proportion of regeneration-ready plots.
Data Analytics for Wearable IoT-Based Telemedicine

Abstract This book chapter is a tutorial-driven hands-on guide on data analytics for wearable sensor signals. The chapter takes an example of smart gloves integrated with flex/bend sensors on fingers measuring the angular movement of the knuckles. The gloves are designed to measure the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The movements of the fingers are converted into time-series signals that hold information regarding the impact and progress of Parkinson’s disease. The beginning sections of the chapter take a traditional approach of signal processing. All the materials including signal/data files and MATLAB codes are open source and freely available on GitHub. Each section provides the MATLAB script to perform signal processing task taking the conditioned signal to the next step in the process. At last, the chapter ends with machine learning classification of different activities of the hand and fingers. This chapter is designed for students who are new to the fields of time-series signals, digital signal processing, and machine learning that are important for handling and analysis of wearable sensor signals. This chapter can also be useful for labs and class assignments targeting wearable sensor data analytics.
Hydrogen-Bonded, Mechanically Strong Nanofibers with Tunable Antioxidant Activity

We report on mechanically strong, water-insoluble hydrogen-bonded nanofiber mats composed of a hydrophilic polymer and a natural polyphenol that exhibit prolonged antioxidant activity. The high performance of fibrous mats resulted from the formation of a network of hydrogen bonds between a low-molecular-weight polyphenol (tannic acid, TA) and a water-soluble polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP) and could be precisely controlled by the TA-to-PVP ratio. Dramatic enhancement (5- to 10-fold) in tensile strength, toughness, and Young's moduli of the PVP/TA fiber mats (as compared to those of pristine PVP fibers) was achieved at the maximum density of hydrogen bonds, which occurred at ∼0.2-0.4 molar fractions of TA. The formation of hydrogen bonds was confirmed by an increase in the glass-transition temperature of the polymer after binding with TA. When exposed to water, the fibers exhibited composition- and pH-dependent stabilities, with the TA-enriched fibers fully preserving their integrity in acidic and neutral media. Importantly, the fiber mats exhibited strong antioxidant activity with dual (burst and prolonged) activity profiles, which could be controlled via fiber composition, a feature useful for controlling radical-scavenging rates in environmental and biological applications.
Egg diameter as a predictor for egg quality of California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis)

Abstract The lack of knowledge in what optimizes egg and larval quality is an important limiting factor in developing culture techniques for any species. Inconsistent or poor egg quality significantly affects the production of larval and juvenile fish. Egg quality is a known predictor of subsequent larval viability, quality, and stress resistance. Without high quality eggs, it is not possible to optimize husbandry practices. Here we tracked egg quality in a population of California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis), CYT. We used spawn events from three consecutive years and monitored basic egg quality metrics such as: spawn viability, egg diameter, oil diameter, hatch rates, larval size at hatch, and larval survival to first feeding. Along with these metrics we also ran proximate composition and fatty acid analysis of these spawn events on the viable portion of the eggs collected. During this study we demonstrated that egg diameters for S. dorsalis decreased as the spawning season progressed and water temperature increased. We showed that larger eggs lead to higher quality hatched larvae, and that using eggs earlier in the season would lead to better overall larval and juvenile production. Our fatty acid analyses suggest that both arachidonic acid (ARA) and linoleic acid (LA) were limiting fatty acids in eggs produced, and there is potential to improve the quality of cultured CYT eggs with the addition of these fatty acids to the broodstock diet.
Dietary inclusion of Peptiva, a peptide-based feed additive, can accelerate the maturation of the fecal bacterial microbiome in weaned pigs

Weaning is one of the most critical transition stages of the swine production cycle, as the piglet gut physiology and microbiome need to rapidly adapt to changes in diet and environmental conditions. Based on their potential for producing a vast array of bioactive molecules, peptide formulations represent a largely untapped source of compounds that could be developed into feed additives to benefit animal health and nutrition. In this context, a commercial-scale nursery trial was performed to evaluate the impact of low inclusion of a peptide-based feed additive (Peptiva, Vitech Bio-Chem Corporation) on the performance and fecal microbiome of weaned pigs. While no significant differences in body weight, daily gain, daily feed intake nor gain:feed were observed between control and treatment animals (P > 0.05), an effect of Peptiva on the fecal bacterial composition of weaned pigs was observed. The first main observation was that the fecal bacterial profiles from pigs fed Control-Phase II and Control Phase III diets were found to be very distinct, suggesting that a transition or succession stage had occurred between the two phases. Lactobacilli, represented by four main OTUs (Ssd-00002, Ssd-00019, Ssd-00025, and Ssd-00053), were more abundant at the end of Phase II (P 0.05). Together, these results suggest that Peptiva can modulate the composition of the swine microbiome during a specific window of the nursery stage, potentially by accelerating its maturation.
Tackling the opioid epidemic: Reducing opioid prescribing while maintaining patient satisfaction with pain management after outpatient surgery.

Abstract Introduction Results of a quality improvement (QI) project to standardize our opioid prescribing practices following five common outpatient general surgery procedures are presented. Methods Opioid prescribing habits were reviewed from June to December 2017. QI measures were implemented. We prospectively collected data on opioid prescribing habits and patients’ pain management ratings from September 2018 to February 2019. Results Following implementation, combination pills were less prescribed. More patients were prescribed adjuncts pre- (66% vs. 3%; p Conclusions Using a pragmatic multimodal approach, decreasing opioid prescriptions at discharge allows for adequate pain management.
Dialectal variation of the preterit and imperfect: A closer look to Puerto Rican and Buenos Aires Spanish

This investigation examines the use of the preterito and imperfecto forms in Puerto Rican and Buenos Aires Spanish. These dialects were chosen because the preterito can express a perfect event in Buenos Aires Spanish while this use has not been documented in Puerto Rican Spanish. This may cause differences in the use of these forms. The main goal of this investigation was to contrast the linguistic predictors in both dialects in order to determine if there are dialectal differences and if they are due to different grammaticalization pathways. The results indicate that there are some differences between the Spanish spoken by Puerto Ricans and that of the Argentines of Buenos Aires. Among the results, it was found that these two dialects had different predictors for the preterito and imperfecto. These results show preliminary evidence that indicates that these dialects follow different grammaticalization paths.
Reducing Psychological Reactance to Health Promotion Messages: Comparing Preemptive and Postscript Mitigation Strategies.

This study compared the relative efficacy of two strategies designed to mitigate psychological reactance in health campaigns by using reminders of behavioral autonomy: preemptive scripts, which app...
Nano-sandwich composite by kinetic trapping assembly from protein and nucleic acid.

Design and preparation of layered composite materials alternating between nucleic acids and proteins has been elusive due to limitations in occurrence and geometry of interaction sites in natural biomolecules. We report the design and kinetically controlled stepwise synthesis of a nano-sandwich composite by programmed noncovalent association of protein, DNA and RNA modules. A homo-tetramer protein core was introduced to control the self-assembly and precise positioning of two RNA-DNA hybrid nanotriangles in a co-parallel sandwich arrangement. Kinetically favored self-assembly of the circularly closed nanostructures at the protein was driven by the intrinsic fast folding ability of RNA corner modules which were added to precursor complex of DNA bound to the protein. The 3D architecture of this first synthetic protein-RNA-DNA complex was confirmed by fluorescence labeling and cryo-electron microscopy studies. The synthesis strategy for the nano-sandwich composite provides a general blueprint for controlled noncovalent assembly of complex supramolecular architectures from protein, DNA and RNA components, which expand the design repertoire for bottom-up preparation of layered biomaterials.
Grid Strength Assessment and Maximum Loadability of a Wind-Dominated Power System Through QV Modal Analysis

With the menace of climate change, a quite vast number of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is being integrated into the traditional transmission grid. The current trends shows that wind energy is the fastest growing RES. The operation and planning of the existing traditional transmission grid with these large scaled wind farms pose several challenges to the Transmission System Operators (TSO), and planners. A systematic approach is needed to integrate them into the grid. This paper aims to present an iterative QV modal analysis to find the strength of each region of the power system and, thus, the maximum loadability of each region. The P-Q method is used to determine the stability boundary of the test system. These methodologies were applied to the well-known IEEE 14 bus system with a large scale wind farm connected to it.
Physical Aggression between Spouses

Before a theoretical analysis of spousal aggression is presented, it is imperative that one first understands the theory that supports the analysis. There are numerous theoretical accounts of aggression as reflected in Geen and Donnerstein’s (1983) book, Aggression: Theoretical and Empirical Reviews. In addition, Gelles and Straus (1979) inventoried 15 theories that they felt were relevant to the understanding of violence between family members. The theories ranged from psychopathology or intrapsychic models to macrosociological models. Further, Gelles and Straus (1979) attempted to provide an integrated theoretical account of violence between family members. However, as Gelles (1983) later noted, the attempt to integrate resulted in a model that was “long on heuristic value and equally long and complex to examine,” (p. 156). Consequently, Gelles moved from a model that attempted to integrate a plethora of concepts to a “more middle-range theory and set of theoretical propositions.” He turned to exchange theory as a means of explaining family violence, a model that has been quite valuable in both sociological and social psychological research.
Using Cheminformatics in Drug Discovery

This chapter illustrates how cheminformatics can be applied to designing novel compounds that are active at the primary target and have good predicted ADMET properties. Examples of various cheminformatics techniques are illustrated in the process of designing inhibitors that inhibit both cyclooxygenase isoforms but are more potent toward COX-2. The first step in the process is to create a knowledge database of cyclooxygenase inhibitors in the public domain. This data was analyzed to find activity cliffs - small structural changes that result in drastic changes in potency. Additional cyclooxygenase potency and selectivity trends were obtained using matched molecular pair analysis. QSAR models were then developed to predict cyclooxygenase potency and selectivity. Next, computational algorithms were used to generate novel scaffolds starting from known cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Nine virtual libraries containing 240 compounds each were constructed. Predictions from the cyclooxygenase QSAR models were used to eliminate molecules with undesirable potency or selectivity. Additionally, the compounds were screened in silico for undesirable ADMET properties, e.g., low solubility, permeability, metabolic stability, or high toxicity, using a liability scoring system known as ADMET Risk™. Eight synthetic candidates were identified from this process after incorporating knowledge gained from activity cliff analysis. Four of the compounds were synthesized and tested to measure their COX-1 and COX-2 IC(50) values as well as several ADME properties. The best compound, SLP0020, had a COX-1 IC(50) of 770 nM and COX-2 IC(50) of 130 nM.
Initiation of Immune Responses in Brain Is Promoted by Local Dendritic Cells

The contribution of dendritic cells (DCs) to initiating T cell-mediated immune response in and T cell homing into the CNS has not yet been clarified. In this study we show by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry that cells expressing CD11c, CD205, and MHC class II molecules and containing fluorescently labeled, processed Ag accumulate at the site of intracerebral Ag injection. These cells follow a specific pattern upon migrating out of the brain. To track their pathway out of the CNS, we differentiated DCs from bone marrow of GFP-transgenic mice and injected them directly into brains of naive C57BL/6 mice. We demonstrate that DCs migrate from brain to cervical lymph nodes, a process that can be blocked by fixation or pertussis toxin treatment of the DCs. Injection of OVA-loaded DCs into brain initiates a SIINFEKL (a dominant OVA epitope)-specific T cell response in lymph nodes and spleen, as measured by specific tetramer and LFA-1 activation marker staining. Additionally, a fraction of activated SIINFEKL-specific T cells home to the CNS. Specific T cell homing to the CNS, however, cannot be induced by i.v. injection of OVA-loaded DCs alone. These data suggest that brain-emigrant DCs are sufficient to support activated T cells to home to the tissue of DC origination. Thus, initiation of immune reactivity against CNS Ags involves the migration of APCs from nervous tissue to peripheral lymphoid tissues, similarly to that in other organs.
Implicit filtering and nonlinear least squares problems

In this paper we motivate and analyze a version of the implicit filtering algorithm by viewing it as an extension of coordinate search. We then show how implicit filtering can be combined with the damped Gauss-Newton method to solve noisy nonlinear least squares problems.
Partial Resolution of the Enzymes Catalyzing Photophosphorylation: II. THE INHIBITION AND STIMULATION OF PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION BY N,N'-DICYCLOHEXYLCARBODIIMIDE

Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibited electron transport in chloroplasts. This inhibition was reversed by ammonia but not by a phosphate acceptor system. In the presence of an uncoupler such as ammonia, the inhibition by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was only about 50%. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibited phosphorylation associated with ferricyanide reduction in coupled chloroplasts. The extent of inhibition of reduction and phosphorylation was about equal except at high concentrations of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, which inhibited phosphorylation more severely. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide had no effect on the light-induced pH rise in coupled chloroplasts, but markedly stimulated this reaction in ethylenediaminetetraacetate-treated chloroplasts which were partially deficient in coupling factor 1. The rate of pH decay in the ethylenediaminetetraacetate-treated chloroplasts was several times higher than that in the coupled chloroplasts. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibited the pH decay, indicating that its stimulation of the light-induced pH rise might be due to an inhibition of the breakdown of a high energy intermediate in chloroplasts. Low concentrations of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide markedly stimulated photophosphorylation in ethylenediaminetetraacetate-treated chloroplasts. Maximal rates of phosphorylation were observed only in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and the coupling factor. The antiserum to the coupling factor inhibited the phosphorylation stimulated by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, suggesting that residual coupling factor was required for phosphorylation even in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide.
BACK-PROPAGATION, WEIGHT-ELIMINATION AND TIME SERIES PREDICTION

Abstract We investigate the effectiveness of connectionist architectures for predicting the future behavior of nonlinear dynamical systems. We analyze the sunspot series as an example of a real world time series of limited record length. The problem of overfitting, particularly serious for short records of noisy data, is addressed both by using the statistical method of validation and by adding a complexity term to the cost function (weight-elimination). We show why sigmoid units are superior in performance to radial basis functions for high-dimensional input spaces. The ultimate goal is prediction accuracy: we find that sigmoid networks trained with weight-elimination outperform traditional nonlinear statistical approaches. The prediction accuracy does not deteriorate when too many input units are used. Iterated single-step predictions are found to be better than direct multi-step predictions. Furthermore, we compare different sampling times (yearly and monthly), investigate the effect of preprocessing the data (square root and logarithmic transforms) and compare different error functions (corresponding to Gauss and Poisson statistics).
Persistence for Circle Valued Maps

We study circle valued maps and consider the persistence of the homology of their fibers. The outcome is a finite collection of computable invariants which answer the basic questions on persistence and in addition encode the topology of the source space and its relevant subspaces. Unlike persistence of real valued maps, circle valued maps enjoy a different class of invariants called Jordan cells in addition to bar codes. We establish a relation between the homology of the source space and of its relevant subspaces with these invariants and provide a new algorithm to compute these invariants from an input matrix that encodes a circle valued map on an input simplicial complex.
Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression in Escherichia coli of a streptococcal plasmin receptor.

Abstract Plasmin(ogen) receptors are expressed by many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. We previously isolated a plasmin receptor from a pathogenic group A streptococcal strain (C. C. Broder, R. Lottenberg, G. O. von Mering, K. H. Johnston, and M. D. P. Boyle, J. Biol. Chem. 266:4922-4928, 1991). The gene encoding this plasmin receptor, plr, was isolated from a lambda gt11 library of chromosomal DNA from group A streptococcal strain 64/14 by screening plaques with antibodies raised against the purified streptococcal plasmin receptor protein. The gene was subcloned by using a low-copy-number plasmid and stably expressed in Escherichia coli, resulting in the production of an immunoreactive and functional receptor protein. The DNA sequence of the gene contained an open reading frame encoding 335 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 35,787. Upstream of the open reading frame, putative promoter and ribosomal binding site sequences were identified. The experimentally derived amino acid sequences of the N terminus and three cyanogen bromide fragments of the purified streptococcal plasmin receptor protein corresponded to the predicted sequence encoded by plr. The deduced amino acid sequence for the plasmin receptor protein revealed significant similarity (39 to 54% identical amino acid residues) to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenases.
Hemodynamic assessment during exercise after left ventricular aneurysmectomy

Abstract The exercise hemodynamics of eight patients who underwent cardiac catheterization were assessed at rest and during exercise, before and after left ventricular aneurysmectomy by the classical technique. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume increased before operation and then significantly decreased after the operation ( p HORAC C ARDIOVASC S URG 1994;107:178-83)
Apparatus for spectrophotometric microtitration application to the titration of deuterohemin

Ein Apparat zur spektrophotometrischen Titration kleiner Substanzmengen wird beschrieben. Er erlaubt die Messung von pH und optischer Dichte in einem Arbeitsgang und ist so konstruiert, dass er in einen gewohnlichen Beckmann-Spektrophotometer hineinpasst. Als Beispiel wird die Titration von Deuterohamin beschrieben. Der erhaltene pK-Wert ist 6,8±0,05.
Ventricular septal defect patch causing right ventricular inflow tract obstruction.

A52-year-old black woman with history of ventricular septal defect (VSD) as a child presented with dyspnea on exertion, abdominal swelling, and bilateral lower extremity edema of 2 weeks’ duration. Her physical examination revealed elevated jugular venous pressure, tricuspid stenosis murmur, …
Differentiation of neuronal cells using a murine embryonic stem cell-based method

The differentiation and screening methodology proposed here is an efficient in vitro system to screen and study effects of small molecules and bioagents and is an alternative to studies that use live animals and embryos. The method is based on engineering a stable murine embryonic stem (ES) cell line expressing lineage-specific promoters that drive selection and reporter genes. Additionally, uniform embryoid bodies (EBs) are used for differentiation studies that allow synchronous differentiation. The reporter and selection marker genes are expressed only in lineages where the promoter is functional. The differentiated cell type can be identified by reporter gene expression and the selection marker can be used for selective enrichment of that particular cell population. The method described here is useful in screening small molecules or bioagents that can differentiate stem cells into particular lineages or cell types. Identified compounds are useful in areas such as stem cell-based regenerative medicine and therapeutics. The method described here has been applied to neuronal cell differentiation.
An Empirical Evaluation of the Effect of Peer and Managerial Ethical Behaviors and the Ethical Predispositions of Prospective Advertising Employees

An advertising firm's ethical culture (as defined by the firm's managerial and peer ethical behaviors) may affect the employees' comfort levels and ethical behaviors. In this research, scenarios were used to describe advertising firms with various ethical cultures. Respondents' perceived comfort levels in working for the firms described in the scenarios and the respondents' behavioral intentions when faced with various advertising situations were assessed. Results of the study indicate that peer ethical behavior exerts a strong influence on the comfort or discomfort level and the ethical behavioral intentions of potential advertising employees. Further, the strong influence exerted by peers seems to transcend the ethical behavior of the manager and carry over to the attitude toward the entire corporate advertising environment. This study provides insights for firms and researchers interested in assessing the impact of an advertising firm's ethical culture on potential employees.
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE USE OF STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT RESEARCH

Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a powerful, yet complex, analytical technique. The use of SEM to examine strategic management phenomena has increased dramatically in recent years, suggesting that a critical evaluation of the technique's implementation is needed. We compared the use of SEM in 92 strategic management studies published in nine prominent journals from 1984 to 2002 to guidelines culled from methodological research. We found that the use and reporting of SEM often have been less than ideal, indicating that authors may be drawing erroneous conclusions about relationships among variables. Given these results, we offer suggestions for researchers on how to better deploy SEM within future inquiry. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Putin's first year in office: the new regime's uniqueness in Russian history

Abstract The author analyzes Putin's first year in office by comparing it to the last fifteen regimes in Russian history. Putin shares many common features with the leaders of the past. He belongs to the group of leaders who were not so concerned about the progress of society as in removing the threat to the existing political order. He is also among those who moved toward authoritarianism in their first year. As all new regimes in the 20th centuries, Putin used democratic ideology for the legitimization of his rule, though he almost immediately began to curtail the fledgling democracy in Russia. While Putin's regime was similar to the previous regimes in some respects, it was very different in others. First of all, no ruler rose to power from such a politically obscure position. Putin came to power with far less experience than his fourteen predecessors. The circumstances under which Putin came to power have no precedent in recent history. Another uniqueness of Putin's first year in office was the extent to which various elements of the old regime were preserved. The author dwells on Putin's first year with special attention. As a predictor of the future, it suggests that Russian society under Putin will remain essentially the same as it was shaped by 1995.
Priapism During Filtration Leukapheresis

Priapism has been observed during two out of 3,680 filtration leukapheresis procedures in male donors and has been reported during hemodialysis. Both procedures are associated with enhanced granulocyte adhesion and aggregation presumably due to C5a. During both procedures, heparin is administered and this drug has been shown to cause heparin-dependent anti-platelet antibodies. It is suggested that complement mediated venous leukostasis or immune-induced platelet aggregates might impair the normal blood flow from the penis and result in a state of priapism.
Educational Diagnosticians The Preparation and Certification Standards of the Council for Exceptional Children

This article briefly summarizes the development process and context for understanding and using the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) knowledge and skills standards for the preparation and cer...
Differential transmission of two pea enation mosaic virus isolates by the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris).

Abstract Two pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) isolates (origins: California and New York) when rehydrated from desiccated pea tissue and mechanically inoculated to pea were thereafter differentially transmitted by 3 pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), strains from Arlington and Rhinelander, Wisconsin and El Centro, California. The California isolate was not transmitted by the Arlington and Rhinelander aphid strains, but it was efficiently transmitted by the El Centro strain. However, an earlier rehydrated culture of the same California PEMV isolate was efficiently transmitted by the aphid strain from Rhinelander. Both the El Centro and Arlington aphid strains transmitted the New York PEMV isolate with nearly equal efficiency. Differences in transmissibility were thus attributable to variations in both the virus and the aphid vector.
Phosphorus and potassium uptake by woody roots of twelve-year-old slash pine trees

Abstract Under natural conditions, woody roots contribute over 80% of the fine-root system of slash pine ( Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliotii ) and have the potential to play a major role in nutrient uptake of field grown trees. However, although nutrient uptake by `woody roots' of trees has been reported, these studies have used brown coloration to define woodiness of roots, despite color being a poor indicator of anatomical attributes that defines secondary growth. Nutrient uptake by brown roots has also generally been measured using excised roots or intact roots from tree seedlings grown under laboratory or greenhouse conditions and which may have little relevance to field conditions. This study documented P and K depletion of intact fine roots for 12-year old slash pines growing under field conditions. The objectives were: (i) to compare P and K depletion between whole root systems and woody root systems of slash pine ( Pinus elliotii Engelm. var. elliotii ); and (ii) to compare P and K depletion between the whole-root system and woody-root systems when N 2 gas was used as a metabolic inhibitor of ion absorption. Woody-root components were isolated from whole-root systems (woody and non-woody) by waxing or cutting. N 2 gas was also used as a metabolic inhibitor of P and K depletion and compared to P and K depletion when air gas was used. We concluded that woody roots function in P and K uptake, and that an active uptake mechanism is implicated. Rates of P and K uptake for woody roots were similar per unit root length to rates of ion uptake of whole (woody and non-woody) roots.
Laying bare the bones of the cell

Cytoskeleton Methods and ProtocolsEdited by Ray H. Gavin. Humana Press, 2001. $89.50 (288 pages) ISBN 0 89603 771 1This hard-cover monograph is Volume 161 in the series Methods in Molecular Biology from Humana Press. The volume is edited by Ray Gavin of Brooklyn College. It consists of 22 chapters on a variety of topics related to the study of cytoskeleton proteins in vitro and in vivo. The authors of the chapters are highly experienced and widely recognized as experts in their fields. The chapters vary considerably in the relative amounts of general discussion of approaches and methods compared with experimental details and protocols, as appropriate.The topics are divided into several groups. The largest group, and the one likely to be most useful to cytoskeleton researchers, deals with light-microscopy methods. Four chapters in this section address how to quantitate cell shape and movement, which are timely and important topics in cytoskeleton research today. Another section has several chapters discussing the use of cell extracts and detergent-extracted cell models in different systems.Two chapters from Mark McNiven's group deal with the use of green-fluorescent protein (GFP) to tag cytoskeletal proteins and thereby follow their dynamics in living cells, which is a popular and important approach in current research. In the section on altering cytoskeletal protein function in cells, the volume contains a chapter on the use of jasplakinolide, a recently developed cell-permeable actin toxin – the first such toxin to promote actin polymerization. This section has a chapter on the use of Tat fusions to transduce antibodies into cells, which fits nicely with one on how to produce and use site-specific antibodies. These topics are likely to be novel and valuable for many researchers.On the negative side, the section on identification of cytoskeletal proteins lacks discussion of affinity approaches and mass spectrometry, which are quite valuable at present. Some of the chapters appear to deal with rather specialized proteins and systems, but researchers might be able to adapt those approaches to their own proteins and systems of interest.The volume is one that the libraries of many universities and research institutes will want to own as a resource for their cytoskeleton researchers. It will be most useful for students and researchers moving to take up new areas, but more experienced workers are likely to find important information as well.
Dietary docosahexaenoic acid but not arachidonic acid influences central nervous system fatty acid status in baboon neonates.

Abstract The influence of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) on infant central nervous system (CNS) composition has implications for neural development, including vision, cognition, and motor function. We consider here combined results of three published studies of DHA/AA-containing formulas and breastfeeding to evaluate the CNS tissue response of baboon neonates with varied concentration and duration of DHA/AA consumption [G.Y. Diau, A.T. Hsieh, E.A. Sarkadi-Nagy, V. Wijendran, P.W. Nathanielsz, J.T. Brenna, The influence of long chain polyunsaturate supplementation on docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid in baboon neonate central nervous system, BMC Med. 3 (2005) 11; A.T. Hsieh, J.C. Anthony, D.A. Diersen-Schade, et al., The influence of moderate and high dietary long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on baboon neonate tissue fatty acids, Pediatr. Res. 61 (2007) 537–45; E. Sarkadi-Nagy, V. Wijendran, G.Y. Diau, et al., The influence of prematurity and long chain polyunsaturate supplementation in 4-week adjusted age baboon neonate brain and related tissues, Pediatr. Res. 54 (2003) 244–252]. A total of 43 neonates born spontaneously at term, or preterm by Cesarean section, consumed diets with DHA–AA (%w/w) at several levels: none (0,0), moderate (0.3, 0.6), or high (>0.6, 0.67 or 1.2). CNS fatty acids were analyzed at 4 and 12 weeks postpartum for term baboons and 7.5 weeks for preterm neonates. CNS DHA was consistently greater by 5–30% in neonates consuming DHA and nearer 30% for cortex. In contrast, CNS AA was unaffected by dietary AA and decreased in all structures with age. Dietary DHA consistently supports greater CNS DHA and maintenance of cortex DHA concentration with feeding duration, while CNS AA is not related to dietary supply. These data on structure-specific LCPUFA accretion may provide insight into neural mechanisms responsible for suboptimal functional outcomes in infants consuming diets that do not support the highest tissue DHA levels.
Fas-associated Protein with Death Domain (FADD)-independent Recruitment of c-FLIPL to Death Receptor 5

Here we show a novel mechanism by which FLICE-like inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) regulates apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and one of its receptors, DR5. c-FLIP is a critical regulator of the TNF family of cytokine receptor signaling. c-FLIP has been postulated to prevent formation of the competent death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) in a ligand-dependent manner, through its interaction with FADD and/or caspase-8. In order to identify regulators of TRAIL function, we used the intracellular death domain (DD) of DR5 as a target to screen a phage-displayed combinatorial peptide library. The DD of DR5 selected from the library a peptide that showed sequence similarity to a stretch of amino acids in the C terminus of c-FLIP(L). The phage-displayed peptide selectively interacted with the DD of DR5 in in vitro binding assays. Similarly, full-length c-FLIP (c-FLIP(L)) and the C-terminal p12 domain of c-FLIP interacted with DR5 both in in vitro pull-down assays and in mammalian cells. This interaction was independent of TRAIL. To the contrary, TRAIL treatment released c-FLIP(L) from DR5, permitting the recruitment of FADD to the active DR5 signaling complex. By employing FADD-deficient Jurkat cells, we demonstrate that DR5 and c-FLIP(L) interact in a FADD-independent manner. Moreover, we show that a cellular membrane permeable version of the peptide corresponding to the DR5 binding domain of c-FLIP induces apoptosis in mammalian cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that c-FLIP interacts with the DD of DR5, thus preventing death (L)signaling by DR5 prior to the formation of an active DISC. Because TRAIL and DR5 are ubiquitously expressed, the interaction of c-FLIP(L) and DR5 indicates a mechanism by which tumor selective apoptosis can be achieved through protecting normal cells from undergoing death receptor-induced apoptosis.
SOCS1 and SOCS3 in the control of CNS immunity

In the decade following their initial discovery, the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins have been studied for their potential use as immunomodulators in disease. SOCS proteins, especially SOCS1 and SOCS3, are expressed by immune cells and cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and have the potential to impact immune processes within the CNS, including inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production, activation of microglia, macrophages and astrocytes, immune cell infiltration and autoimmunity. We describe CNS-relevant in vitro and in vivo studies that have examined the function of SOCS1 or SOCS3 under various neuroinflammatory or neuropathological conditions, including exposure of CNS cells to inflammatory cytokines or bacterial infection, demyelinating insults, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and glioblastoma multiforme.
Atmospheric trace metals: global cycles and assessment of man's impact

Abstract Global data are presented for sources of atmospheric input for 20 trace metals, and the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic sources is assessed. Interference factors are calculated as (total anthropogenic emissions/total natural emissions) × 100. For lithophile metals such as Fe and Mn, interference factors are small. In contrast, the atmophile metals, such as As, Se and Hg, exhibit large interference factors. A significant degree of correlation exists between interference factors and enrichment factors, where enrichment factor is defined as the metal/Al ratio in atmospheric particulates divided by the metal/Al ratio in soils. For many of the trace metals, enrichment factors are of the same order of magnitude at high latitudes in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and are larger at high latitude than at mid latitude. A simple mathematical model is used to calculate present-day enrichment factors in both hemispheres based on natural and anthropogenic influxes, effluxes, and transfer between hemispheres. The calculated enrichment factors are in good agreement with the observed enrichment factors for lithophile metals at both mid and high latitude, and for atmophile metals at mid latitude. However, calculated enrichment factors for atmophile metals are lower than observed enrichment factors at high latitude. To explain these results, we propose that for Hg, As and Se, and perhaps for other atmophile metals, there are significant fluxes from the sea surface to the atmosphere. If the estimated low-temperature fluxes of As, Se and Hg from the land and sea surfaces are included in the interference factor calculations for these metals, the factors are reduced to less than 100%.
Consideration of metaphase chromosome parameters amenable to digital computer analysis

Our symposium concerns itself with the relationship between chromosome function and chromosome morphology. Fundamental to functional analysis is our ability to specify normative values for morphological parameters, and to recognize the relatively small departures from the norm which may signify a different functional state. Analysis is therefore statistical in nature, and the important factors which can be manipulated within limits are the error component of variance and sample size. In order to sharpen our discrimination, we must strive to reduce variance and increase the number of units
Genetic analysis on the direct response to divergent selection for phytate phosphorus bioavailability in a randombred chicken population

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the direct response to 3 generations of divergent selection for phytate P bioavailability (PBA) in the Athens-Canadian randombred chicken population. Cumulated divergent response (R(C)) was measured as the line difference in PBA at a given generation after adjusting for hatch and sex effects. Results showed a significant response at generation (G)1. The R(C) was unchanged from G1 to G2 and increased (1.62%) from G2 to G3 (P < 0.01) due to the application of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) selection in the line selected for high PBA at G2. The average BLUP estimated breeding values were used to estimate the genetic trend for the selected trait across generations. The results showed that the genetic trend was symmetric at G1 and G2 but asymmetric at G3. The application of mixed model methodology was effective in separating the environmental component from phenotypic change. When the data of the high (H) line or the low (L) line in the selected generations (G1 to G3) were combined with the data from the base population (G0), the heritability estimates for PBA were 0.07 +/- 0.02 and 0.09 +/- 0.02, respectively. The line selected for high PBA showed gain, and the line selected for low PBA showed a decrease in estimated breeding values across the generations. The results demonstrated that modest progress could be obtained by incorporating PBA into selection programs. However, other correlated traits of economic importance need to be evaluated before any decision to incorporate selection of PBA into breeding schemes be initiated.
Mujeres y criados , una comedia recuperada de Lope de Vega

Lope de Vega’s corpus of plays is one of the most studied of Spanish Baroque theater, although it still presents numerous problems that need to be solved. In this article I study the extant manuscript of a play entitled Mujeres y criados in relation to a play by Lope of the same title, which several catalogues consider lost. In the first part of my paper I prove Lope’s authorship of the play based on internal elements of the text and the manuscript’s relation to several seventeenth-century documents. In the second part of this article I study the most relevant characteristics of this play. I focus my attention on the traits of the urban comedy it presents, the subversion of certain themes —such as social hierarchies or honor— that takes place and the predominant role Lope gave women in the play’s plot.
Incomplete Lipschitz-Hankel integrals of Bessel functions

Abstract : Various representations for incomplete Lipschitz-Hankel integrals of Bessel functions have been given in terms of Kampe de Feriet double hypergeometric functions. Reduction formulas for the double series employed have been given in some cases. Keywords: Integrals of Bessel functions, Hypergeometric functions.
Differential expression of anterior gradient gene AGR2 in prostate cancer

Background The protein AGR2 is a putative member of the protein disulfide isomerase family and was first identified as a homolog of the Xenopus laevis gene XAG-2. AGR2 has been implicated in a number of human cancers. In particular, AGR2 has previously been found to be one of several genes that encode secreted proteins showing increased expression in prostate cancer cells compared to normal prostatic epithelium.
Psychometric properties of the MSPSS and NOS in psychiatric outpatients.

Prior research has demonstrated the utility of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Network Orientation Scale (NOS) as measures of perceived social support among nonpsychiatric samples. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether these two scales can be used reliably among psychiatric outpatients, in particular those with schizophrenia or a major affective disorder. Subjects were 144 outpatients, aged 21 to 67 years, who completed the MSPSS and NOS. Results demonstrated high internal consistency for the MSPSS and adequate internal consistency for the NOS. In addition, convergent validity was demonstrated. Scores on both scales for these psychiatric outpatients were found to be lower as compared to "normals."
Impact of body composition on estimated glomerular filtration rate in relatively healthy adults in Taiwan.

Impact of body composition on estimated glomerular filtration rate in relatively healthy adults in Taiwan
Correlated Motions in Glasses Studied by Coherent Inelastic Neutron Scattering

Coherent inelastic neutron scattering provides detailed information about the correlated atomic displacements in the vibrational modes of a glass. As an example, we show the wave-vector dependence of the scattering function of vitreous Si${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ corresponding to different peaks in the one-phonon density of states. Pending the availability of results from computer simulations, we give a qualitative comparison with the Sen-Thorpe model.