cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic analyses of male fertility restoration in wheat. V: Anomalous results of a monosomic analysis

A fertile line (L222) of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), with cytoplasm of T. timopheevii Zhu., and rf1 and rf4 alleles of the major Rf genes on chromosomes 1A and 6B, respectively, was developed and analyzed for male fertility-restoring genes. L222 descended from 1 of the 11 partially fertile monosomics in the backcross progeny of cytoplasmic male-sterile (cms) Chris monosomic 1A/L22 (Rf1Rf1rf4rf4), F 1 monosomic 1A//euploid Chris(.)
R-domain interactions with distal regions of CFTR lead to phosphorylation and activation.

Cystic fibrosis is caused by the aberrant function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. We examined whether intramolecular binding interactions involving the regulatory (R) domain contributed to CFTR regulation and function. When the R-domain (amino acids 596−836) was coexpressed with Δ1−836 CFTR (a carboxyl hemi-CFTR beginning immediately after the R-domain), strong binding between the two polypeptides was exhibited. The R-domain that co-immunoprecipitated with Δ1−836 exhibited a slower mobility on SDS−PAGE that resulted from phosphorylation of the protein. A larger CFTR polypeptide that included the R-domain (M837X) also exhibited a phosphorylation-dependent mobility shift when coexpressed with Δ1−836. Moreover, coexpression of M837X and Δ1−836 led to enhanced halide permeability in living cells. The activity, unlike in full-length CFTR, was present without forskolin activation, but still sensitive to the PKA inhibitor, Rp-8-CPT-cAMPS. This PKA inhibition of activit...
Crystal Structure of Monomeric Actin in the ATP State STRUCTURAL BASIS OF NUCLEOTIDE-DEPENDENT ACTIN DYNAMICS

A nucleotide-dependent conformational change regulates actin filament dynamics. Yet, the structural basis of this mechanism remains controversial. The x-ray crystal structure of tetramethylrhodamine-5-maleimide-actin with bound AMPPNP, a non-hydrolyzable ATP analog, was determined to 1.85-A resolution. A comparison of this structure to that of tetramethylrhodamine-5-maleimide-actin with bound ADP, determined previously under similar conditions, reveals how the release of the nucleotide γ-phosphate sets in motion a sequence of events leading to a conformational change in subdomain 2. The side chain of Ser-14 in the catalytic site rotates upon Pi release, triggering the rearrangement of the loop containing the methylated His-73, referred to as the sensor loop. This in turn causes a transition in the DNase I-binding loop in subdomain 2 from a disordered loop in ATP-actin to an ordered α-helix in ADP-actin. Despite this conformational change, the nucleotide cleft remains closed in ADP-actin, similar to ATP-actin. An analysis of the existing structures of members of the actin superfamily suggests that the cleft is open in the nucleotide-free state.
Using Web-Based GIS in Introductory Human Geography

Advocates for using a geographic information system (GIS) in education assert that GIS improves student learning. However, studies to clarify the relationship between learning and using GIS are still needed. This study examines the effects of using Web-based GIS maps in place of paper maps on students' geography content knowledge and motivation (self-efficacy) when taking college-level introductory human geography (N = 171). Hierarchical regression analysis shows that using Web-based GIS is positively related to post-test self-efficacy and post-test geography content knowledge.
Estimating seat belt effectiveness with seat belt usage data from the Centers for Disease Control

A state cross-sectional model of traffic fatalities estimates the effectiveness of seat belts with data on usage from the Centers for Disease Control [Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (1987), henceforth BRFSS]. Seat belts have no statistically significant effect for total or driver or overall occupant fatalities. However, deaths for non-occupants and passengers increase with seat belt usage. The results suggest offsetting consumer behavior as driver drive more dangerously, due to seat belt laws, and non-occupants and passengers may be killed as a result. Care should be exercised in using these results, since the BRFSS data are based on telephone surveys. However, it has been shown here that the carefully gathered North Carolina observational data can be explained with BRFSS data.
Location-based pairwise key establishments for static sensor networks

Sensor networks are ideal candidates for applications such as target tracking and environment monitoring. Security in sensor networks is critical when there are potential adversaries. Establishment of pairwise keys is a fundamental security service, which forms the basis of other security services such as authentication and encryption. However, establishing pairwise keys in sensor networks is not a trivial task, particularly due to the resource constraints on sensors. This paper presents several techniques for establishing pairwise keys in static sensor networks. These techniques take advantage of the observation that in static sensor networks, although it is difficult to precisely pinpoint sensors' positions, it is often possible to approximately determine their locations. This paper presents a simple location-aware deployment model, and develops two pairwise key predistribution schemes, a closest pairwise keys predistribution scheme and a location-based pairwise keys scheme using bivariate polynomials, by taking advantage of sensors' expected locations. The analysis in this paper indicates that these schemes can achieve better performance if such location information is available and that the smaller the deployment error (i.e., the difference between a sensor's actual location and its expected location) is, the better performance they can achieve.
Alcohol consumption and time to recognition of pregnancy.

Objectives: Despite warnings to abstain from alcohol, American women who are or could become pregnant still drink. This study evaluates whether women who consume alcohol are at an increased risk of recognizing pregnancy later than women who do not, adjusting for confounding factors that have been associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Methods: The sample included 863 control women from a multisite case-control study conducted from 1996 to 2002 in the United States and Canada. Telephone interviews were conducted with mothers by trained nurse interviewers who administered standardized questionnaires on demographic and reproductive factors, and pregnancy exposures. Results: Alcohol consumption was classified as none (42.0%), occasional (31.9%), regular (15.6%), and heavy (10.5%). Time to recognition of pregnancy was calculated as the date pregnancy was suspected minus the last menstrual period date (median: 31 days; range: 7–227 days). Unadjusted Cox proportional hazard models found that regular drinkers, but not heavy drinkers, had a significantly higher risk of recognizing pregnancy later than non-drinkers. However, this association went away after adjustment for demographic factors. Among women with unplanned pregnancies, heavy alcohol intake was associated with a 45% increased hazard ratio, compared to 0.80 for women with planned pregnancies; however, this finding was not statistically significant. Conclusions: While time to pregnancy recognition did not vary among drinkers and non-drinkers, results from this study reiterate previous findings that pregnant women consume alcohol, and that drinkers share social and demographic characteristics that could be used to target public health interventions.
Molecular identification of metastatic cancer to the skin using laser capture microdissection: A case report

BACKGROUND In the current study the authors report a 57-year-old woman with a scalp tumor and cervical lymphadenopathy who had a previously resected duodenal carcinoid. Histologic and immunophenotypic characteristics of the duodenal carcinoid differed from those of the scalp and cervical lymph node tumors, prompting the use of molecular methodologies to make the diagnosis. METHODS Paraffin embedded tissues from the duodenal carcinoid, scalp, and lymph node tumors were dissected using microscopic visualization and laser capture microdissection. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to evaluate loss of heterozygosity and microsatellite alterations using primers flanking 22 polymorphic microsatellite markers from 9 chromosomal regions, including genes associated with MEN-1 (11q), CDKN2 (9p), p53 (17p), and bronchial carcinoid (3p). Microdissected lymphocytes from the three tissues were used as source of constitutional DNA (controls). RESULTS Fourteen of the 22 markers were informative (heterozygous in control lymphocytes). A marker on 3p12 showed loss of the same parental allele in the three tumors. A different marker on 3p14.2 showed an identical shifted band in the three tumors indicative of a common microsatellite alteration. CONCLUSIONS The shared molecular abnormalities among the three tumors indicated a common clonal origin, leading to a diagnosis of primary duodenal carcinoid with clear cell metastases to the scalp and cervical lymph nodes. These findings led to radiation therapy and immunotherapy rather than chemotherapy. This case illustrates the novel application of laser capture microdissection combined with PCR-based analyses of genomic markers for the identification of the origin of metastatic disease. Cancer 2000;88:749–54. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Devastating chest wall necrotizing fasciitis following pigtail catheter drainage

Summary Pigtail catheter for drainage of pleural effusion has gained popularity. Complication related to the insertion of these small-bore catheter is low. In this report, we highlight two cases with devastating necrotizing fasciitis of chest wall following pigtail catheter insertion.
Immunoadsorption model for a novel fluidized‐bed blood detoxification device

A multicompartment Taylor-Couette flow hemofilter was designed to remove toxins from a patient's bloodstream via immunoadsorption. This device (Vortex Flow Plasmapheretic Reactor, VFPR) treats blood plasma with a fluidized-bed of small (45–165×10−6 m diameter) particles, while protecting fragile blood cells from lysis. The potential application for the VFPR is dialysis-related amyloidosis, a disease associated with the systemic accumulation of beta-2-microglobulin in patients with long-term kidney failure. The equilibrium behavior of immunoadsorptive gel beads is characterized experimentally and theoretically using confocal microscopy and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The importance of external mass-transfer resistance within the active compartment is assessed through dissolution studies conducted with benzoic acid particles. These results are combined with mass-transfer fundamentals to develop a dynamic immunoadsorption model. The modeling results, without the use of adjustable parameters, agree with the experimental data and provide a foundation for further development and eventual application.
Wounds increase activin in skin and a vasoactive neuropeptide in sensory ganglia

Successful healing of skin wounds requires sensory innervation and the release of vasoactive neuropeptides that dilate blood vessels and deliver serum proteins to the wound, and that cause pain that protects from further injury. Activin has been proposed as a target-derived regulator of sensory neuropeptides during development, but its role in the mature nervous system is unknown. While adult skin contains a low level of activin, protein levels in skin adjacent to a wound increase rapidly after an excision. Neurons containing the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) increased in sensory ganglia that projected to the wounded skin, but not in ganglia that projected to unwounded skin, suggesting that neurons respond to a local skin signal. Indeed, many adult sensory neurons respond with increased CGRP expression to the application of activin in vitro and utilize a smad-mediated signal transduction pathway in this response. A second skin-derived factor nerve growth factor (NGF) also increased in wounded skin and increased CGRP in cultured adult dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons but with lower efficacy. Together, these data support the hypothesis that activin made by skin cells regulates changes in sensory neuropeptides following skin injury, thereby promoting vasodilation and wound healing.
SU‐CC‐ValA‐06: A Novel Approach to Assessing Breast Density Utilizing Sound Speed Measurements

Purpose: Women with high mammographic breast density are at a 4‐ to 7‐ fold increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to women with fatty breasts. The purpose of this work is to investigate the potential of assessing breast density via acoustic velocity measurements obtained with ultrasoundcomputed tomography.Method and Materials: A sample of approximately 50 patients was imaged with our computed ultrasoundtomography clinical prototype. Each data set was comprised of 45 tomograms ranging from near the chest wall through the nipple region. Whole breast acoustic velocity was determined by creating image stacks and evaluating the sound speed frequency distribution. The acoustic measures of breast density were evaluated by comparing these results to two mammographic density measures: (1) qualitative, as determined by a certified radiologist using the BIRADS Categorical Assessment based on a 1 (fatty) to 4 (dense) scale, and (2) quantitative, via digitization and computerized analysis of archival mammograms. The former involved a radiologist's visual assessment of each mammogram, while the latter required scanning cranio‐caudal films with a Vidar VXR‐16 DosimetryPro digitizer and implementing semi‐automatic segmentation routines. Results: Approximately 60 m/s difference in acoustic velocity was found between the fatty and dense BIRADS categories. This investigation indicated a positive correlation between BIRADS category and acoustic velocity of the breast. In addition, a strong correlation between the mean acoustic velocity and quantitative measures of percent breast density was demonstrated (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.651, p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that utilizing acoustical velocity as an analogue to mammographic breast density is feasible. Our approach to evaluating breast density has the potential to provide a safer, non‐ionizing, and more quantitative means of evaluating breast density, thus better elucidating the relationship that exists between breast density and breast cancer risk.
Photosynthetic Capacity Increases with Plant Size

: The photosynthetic capacity of mature leaves of the epiphytic orchid, Dimerandra emarginata, was studied in plants of different size. There was a linear increase of both area-based and dry weight-based rates of O2-evolution with size by more than 100% from the smallest (1 cm tall) to the largest (50 cm tall) individual. Similar size-related changes were observed in the leaf nitrogen content but not in the chlorophyll content. The results are discussed in the context of the optimal partitioning theory.
Factors Affecting the Operation of Kundt's Rule

An experiment was conducted with three subjects to investigate the importance of various factors affecting the operation of that portion of Kundt's rule which says that, under conditions of monocular observation, an individual, in bisecting a horizontal line, will tend to locate the “bisector” somewhat to the nasal side of the true center. The variables studied included eye used, horizontal dimension of stimulus, and figure height or form (straight line, rectangle, or square). An analysis of variance showed that the different orders of judgments, Ss, eye used, and various interactions were significant sources of variation. The horizontal dimension of the stimulus and figure height or form yielded non-significant F ratios, although in the prior case, it is concluded that there was a real effect of the variable which is, however, hidden by the particular statistical analysis employed. Some of the data of individual Ss provide evidence for the existence of either an improvement or a deterioration in performa...
Diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder in pregnant women.

Abstract Bipolar disorder is relatively rare in obstetrics and gynecology (ob/gyn) practice compared with depressive and anxiety disorders, but there is a high risk for poor outcomes for patients and their offspring. Ob/Gyn physicians are assuming increasing responsibility for the care of these patients in today’s managed care environment, working independently or in collaboration with a psychiatrist. The clinical presentation of bipolar patients may include mania and/or depression, in addition to more minor mood fluctuations that accompany the emotional and physical changes of pregnancy. The key issue in the differential diagnosis is to rule out medical, surgical, medication, and substance etiologies of mania that are potentially reversible. Indications for routine, urgent, and emergent referrals to a psychiatrist are reviewed. Treatment for bipolar women considering pregnancy includes prepregnancy planning education, involving the patient, family, psychiatrist, ob/gyn physician, and maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Treatment for pregnant bipolar women includes an individualized risk/benefit assessment regarding medication, monitoring levels and adherence to medication if it is used, ongoing patient education, and collaboration between the ob/gyn physician, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and psychiatrist.
Competency to be executed: A therapeutic jurisprudence perspective

This Article analyzes the concept of competency to be executed. It examines the Supreme Court's 1986 decision in Ford v. Wainwright, discussing both its Eighth Amendment and procedural due process determinations. It then considers the standard that should be applied in determining competency in this context and the procedures that the states should utilize to insure a fair determination consistent with due process. The article then considers the perplexing problem of whether an incompetent death row prisoner may assert a constitutional or statutory right to refuse treatment designed to restore him to competency for execution, examining both the constitutional and therapeutic implications of involuntary treatment in this context. Language: en
Utilization of solar radiation by polar animals: an optical model for pelts; an alternative explanation

An optical model for the pelt of a polar bear is presented that accounts for ultraviolet light and other optical properties that the bear's pelt has been known to exhibit. (AIP)
The ultrastructure and resorptive pattern of cancellous onlay bone grafts in the craniofacial skeleton

The authors' laboratory has shown cancellous onlay bone grafts to resorb faster than cortical grafts. To understand the nature of cancellous bone grafts beyond volumetric measurements, a temporal analysis of the internal microarchitecture of these grafts was performed. Their hypothesis is that the forces of remodeling and resorption cause cancellous onlay bone grafts to develop a denser, more interconnected, and a more mechanically stable microarchitecture. Twenty-five adult New Zealand White rabbits were used in this study and were divided into three groups. Microcomputed tomography (MCT) was performed on all cancellous bone grafts to obtain detailed information regarding the microarchitecture of the cancellous bone. Bone graft specimens were examined histologically, and histomorphometric analysis was also performed. Their results show that cancellous onlay bone grafts develop a higher bone volume fraction, mean trabecular thickness, connectivity, and degree of anisotropy. Furthermore, cancellous onlay bone grafts developed a lower bone surface area-to-volume ratio and mean trabecular separation. The unique combination of MCT technology and histomorphometric techniques proved to be effective in providing a qualitative and quantitative ultrastructural analysis of cancellous onlay bone grafts over time. The authors were able to show changes in the internal microarchitecture of cancellous onlay bone grafts as they were remodeled and resorbed. Specifically, they found the cancellous onlay bone grafts to develop a more dense, less trabecular, more organized, and more interconnected internal ultrastructure over time. Their findings have helped to provide a reproducible description of the temporal sequence of changes in bone microarchitecture, revascularization, and internal remodeling.
Intense ultrashort-pulse laser-solid interactions for soft x-ray generation

Short-pulse high-intensity laser-plasma interactions are investigated numerically with a fluid code and experimentally with optical and x-ray diagnostics. The emitted x-ray spectrum is characterized in the vicinity of the water window for laser intensities of 4 X 1017 W/cm2 and pulsewidths of 400 fs. Optimization of the x-ray pulsewidth using these results is also discussed.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Aromatic polyamides. XI. Effect of the halogen substitution on the thermal and flammability behavior of poly(1,4‐phenylene terephthalamide)

Etablissement d'une correlation entre la substitution d'halogenes et le deroulement de la decomposition thermique et entre le rendement en semi-coke et l'inflammabilite de polyamides aromatiques contenant des liaisons polymeriques para-para
Beyond the proton abstracting role of Glu-376 in medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase: influence of Glu-376-->Gln substitution on ligand binding and catalysis.

The active site residue, Glu-376, of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) has been known to abstract the α-proton from acyl-CoA substrates during the course of the reductive half-reaction. The site-specific mutation of Glu-376→Gln(E376Q) slows down the octanoyl-CoA-dependent reductive half-reaction of the enzyme by about 5 orders of magnitude due to impairment in the proton-transfer step. To test whether the carboxyl group of Glu-376 exclusively serves as the active site base (for abstracting the α-proton) during the enzyme catalysis, we undertook a detailed kinetic investigation of the enzyme−ligand interaction and enzyme catalysis, utilizing octanoyl-CoA/octenoyl-CoA as a physiological substrate/product pair and the wild-type and E376Q mutant enzymes as the catalysts. The transient kinetic data revealed that the E376Q mutation not only impaired the rate of octanoyl-CoA-dependent reduction of the enzyme-bound FAD, but also impaired the association and dissociation rates for the binding of the react...
Samples of exact k-stage group sequential designs for Phase II and Pilot studies

That the test of H(0): p=p(0) versus H(1): p>p(0) can be based on a binomially distributed random variable is widely known among users of statistical methods. What is not generally known is that under certain very general conditions, it is possible to find an exact k-stage group sequential test whose total sample size is bounded above by the sample size for the single stage binomial test. That is, it is possible to find k-stage tests for detecting H(1) for which the sum of the sample sizes at each of the stages is bounded above by the sample size for the standard binomial test. This result is somewhat remarkable since the total sample size under the group sequential test setting can be strictly less than the sample size for the uniformly most powerful (UMP) one-stage binomial test. In other words, exact group sequential tests cannot only save the average sample size but can also save the maximum sample size when they are compared to the standard binomial test. In this paper, implications of existing theory are explored and a web application written by the authors is presented. No new theory is established. Applications are described and methods are demonstrated that use the web application to rapidly create efficient designs for Phase II and Pilot studies that put a minimum number of patients at risk and that facilitate the rapid progression through a scientific research agenda. While couched here in the context of clinical trials, the results may be used in any field of inquiry where inferences are made based on the size of a binomial random variable.
RENORMALIZATION AND STRING AMPLITUDES

We derive the Virasoro-Shapiro amplitude by looking for invariants of renormalization of a cutoff bosonic free field theory.
Crowdsourcing Applications for Public Health

Crowdsourcing is an online, distributed, problem-solving, and production model that uses the collective intelligence of networked communities for specific purposes. Although its use has benefited many sectors of society, it has yet to be fully realized as a method for improving public health. This paper defines the core components of crowdsourcing and proposes a framework for understanding the potential utility of crowdsourcing in the domain of public health. Four discrete crowdsourcing approaches are described (knowledge discovery and management; distributed human intelligence tasking; broadcast search; and peer-vetted creative production types) and a number of potential applications for crowdsourcing for public health science and practice are enumerated.
T-lymphocyte heterogeneity in rat: Role of adherent T-cell subpopulation in the regulation of cytotoxic T-cell response to alloantigens

Abstract Based on the property of adherence to glass bead columns, we have separated two populations of spleen cells from alloantigen-primed rats that interact synergistically in generation of secondary in vitro CML response. Further analysis of these populations reveals that the adherent cell fraction contains a radioresistant (2500 rad) T helper population (Th1) that enhances the CTL response to alloantigens, a macrophage-type suppressor cell (Mos), and a radio-sensitive suppressor component of yet undetermined nature. The nonadherent cell fraction contains precursors of CTLs and a helper T cell (Th2) that helps in the generation of a T-dependent antibody response to SRBC.
Laparoscopic colectomy reduces morbidity and mortality in obese patients

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the US and increases the difficulty of laparoscopic surgery. Randomized, controlled trials of laparoscopic vs. open colectomy have shown equivalence but often exclude obese patients thus not answering whether obese patients may specifically benefit from laparoscopy. We hypothesized that obese patients would benefit from use of laparoscopy for colectomy. We used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2005 to 2009 and chose elective laparoscopic and open segmental colectomy and ileocecal resections. We compared patients’ demographics, comorbidities, and outcomes. We used multivariate models to assess for predictors of complications in obese patients. These models included demographics, comorbidities, and outcomes. 35,998 patients were identified who underwent elective colectomy with primary anastomosis. Forty-four percent of the included cases were laparoscopic and 31 % of patients had a BMI greater than 30 (obese). Obese patients were more likely to have diabetes, hypertension, prior percutaneous coronary intervention, and dyspnea on exertion. We constructed a new variable called any complication that included all complications except 30-day mortality. In our multivariate analysis, laparoscopic approach in obese patients independently decreased the relative risk of superficial (odds ratio (OR) 0.72, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.63–0.82) and deep (OR 0.44, CI 0.31–0.61) surgical site infections, intra-abdominal infection (OR 0.61, CI 0.49–0.78), dehiscence (OR 0.50, CI 0.35–0.69), pneumonia (OR 0.60, CI 0.44–0.81), failure to wean from the ventilator (OR 0.64, CI 0.47–0.87), renal failure (OR 0.58, CI 0.35–0.96), urinary tract infection (OR 0.62, CI 0.49–0.79), sepsis (OR 0.53, CI 0.43–0.66), septic shock (OR 0.65, CI 0.47–0.90), any complication (OR 0.61, CI 0.55–0.67) and 30-day mortality (OR 0.56, CI 0.31–0.98). Due to the significant decrease in the risk of morbidity and mortality, laparoscopic colectomy should be offered to obese patients whenever feasible.
Altered peripheral benzodiazepine receptor binding in cardiac and liver tissues from thyroidectomized rats

Abstract We measured the density and affinity of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) ligand, [ 3 H]4′-Cl-diazepam, in cardiac ventricular and liver homogenates from thyroidectomized (TX) Holtzman adult male rats, and compared these data to sham-operated controls. When data from hypothyroid tissues were compared to those of controls, the densities of PBRs were decreased in cardiac ventricles but not in liver tissue. This reduction in cardiac PBR density is opposite to what has been reported for ventricular calcium channel density in hypothyroidism. PBR affinity for the ligand was increased in both the liver and ventricular homogenates from the hypothyroid tissues, but this difference was not seen in membranes prepared from the liver homogenates. Although 4′-Cl-diazepam affinity is reported to vary between tissues from different species, this is the first report of an in vivo hormone treatment induced change in the benzodiazepine type PBR affinity. Liver tissues from both groups failed to show any interaction when radiolabeled [ 3 H]4′-Cl-diazepam was tested against competing concentrations of thyroid hormone analogs.
Spindle formation and chromatin condensation in cells blocked at interphase by mutation of a negative cell cycle control gene

In Aspergillus nidulans the temperature-sensitive cell cycle mutation bimE7 causes chromosome condensation and pre-anaphase spindle formation to occur at restrictive temperature. By constructing double mutants between bimE7 and S phase or G2 phase mutants and blocking DNA replication with hydroxyurea, we demonstrate that bimE7 can cause chromatin condensation and spindle formation in cells held in S or G2. Thus bimE7 overrides normal control systems that prevent mitosis from prematurely occurring during S or G2. We show that bimE7 is a loss of function mutation and propose that bimE normally functions to negatively control a positive mitotic inducing factor, possibly the cell cycle gene nimA.
Reading German with Eye and Ear

IN recent years we have had the opportunity to watch numerous experiments in the teaching of basic language courses. The intensified courses adopted in a few colleges seemed for a time to be the answer to our problems: seven to twelve contact hours a week in sections of only ten or twelve students. This arrangement makes real oral training possible from the beginning, and oral facility, being the demanding skill that it is, provides an excellent basis for the ready acquisition of other skills: listening, writing, reading. But these intensified courses have not been as contagious as many of us have hoped; in fact, some of those that were established are disappearing again because of crowded conditions, a shortage of competent teachers, financial strain and the plain fact that serious language study is still far from popular. The battle for small classes and more time is yet to be won. Beginning college classes of twenty-five, thirty or more students meeting from three to five hours a week are still the order of the day. And at least half of the students in these classes are not returning for a second year of study. In view of all this, language teachers have recently done a great deal of casting about for an approach that can be used effectively in the first year without prejudice to either the one-year student or the student who continues. If we agree that reading is still the major objective of college German study, it does not seem fair or efficient to offer the one-year student chiefly active grammar and composition. On the other hand, if the course is designed to teach passive grammar and silent reading from the beginning, it ignores the spoken language and consequently falls into the danger of becoming unnatural and lifeless. I believe that we have found one possible solution to this problem in an experimental beginners' course at the University of Colorado. This course was tried out on a small scale last year, and again last summer, and is now being conducted in most of our beginning liberal arts classes. The course places equal major stress on the skills of reading and listening, and it postpones training in speaking and writing until the following years of study. Grammar is treated passively throughout most of the first year. This does not mean, however, that it is not treated thoroughly. Let me point out some of the most important reasons for the adoption of an approach which makes ability to "read" with the ear a major aim along with ability to read with the eye. To begin with, auditory comprehension is a language skill which can be developed effectively in large beginning classes. Other things being equal,
Party strategies, world demand, and unemployment in Britain and the United States, 1947–1983

This paper replicates and extends earlier work on the politics of macroeconomic policy by considering political effects on unemployment in Britain and the United States from 1947 to 1983. Unemployment falls under left-wing governments and rises under right-wing governments. However, these partisan effects on unemployment in an open economy like Britain's can only be satisfactorily estimated relative to the level of world economic activity. The United States has major effects on world economic activity but is also subject to feedback from the economies of other countries. Politicians' strategic incentives and economic regime constraints determine whether partisan effects on unemployment will be sustained, transitory, or absent. In Britain, only a model in which partisan impacts are transitory satisfactorily estimates the effects of changes of party control. In the United States, only the transitory-impact model is able to estimate partisan effects in recent administrations.
Glucose-Induced Metabolic Memory in Schwann Cells: Prevention by PPAR Agonists

A major barrier in reversing diabetic complications is that molecular and pathologic effects of elevated glucose persist despite normalization of glucose, a phenomenon referred to as metabolic memory. In the present studies we have investigated the effects of elevated glucose on Schwann cells, which are implicated in diabetic neuropathy. Using quantitative PCR arrays for glucose and fatty acid metabolism, we have found that chronic (>8 wk) 25 mM high glucose induces a persistent increase in genes that promote glycolysis, while inhibiting those that oppose glycolysis and alternate metabolic pathways such as fatty acid metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and trichloroacetic acid cycle. These sustained effects were associated with decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ binding and persistently increased reactive oxygen species, cellular NADH, and altered DNA methylation. Agonists of PPARγ and PPARα prevented select effects of glucose-induced gene expression. These observations suggest that Schwann cells exhibit features of metabolic memory that may be regulated at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, targeting PPAR may prevent metabolic memory and the development of diabetic complications.
Embodied Progress: A Cultural Account of Assisted Conception

Embodied Progress:. Cultural Account of Assisted Conception. Sarah Franklin. London and New York: Routledge, 1997.252 pp.
The evolution of wind power integration studies: Past, present, and future

The rapid growth of wind power as a generation resource in the past decade has given many utilities and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) concerns due to its unconventional characteristics. Because of these concerns, many of these entities have initiated studies that evaluate the feasibility of large amounts of wind power onto their system and the operational impacts present. This paper will discuss some of the past major studies, mostly focusing on the United States, and the basic methodologies that were used during these studies. The paper will also review many of the different results and conclusions of the studies and discuss how they have helped the power industry as a whole. Lastly, the authors will attempt to share their ideas on some of the limitations of the current and past integration studies, and some insight on how these may be evolving in the future.
Imaging an alginate polymer gel matrix using atomic force microscopy

Abstract The polysaccharide structure of alginic acid was examined as individual molecules and as dense gels using tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). Dilute (picomolar) non-ionic solutions of polymer molecules were sorbed onto mica surfaces. Under these conditions, the molecules exhibited frequent ‘kinks’ or abrupt right-angle changes in orientation. It is proposed that the kinks may correspond to chair backbone configurations that are predicted from the molecular structure of alginate, and occur at linkages between the monomers: α- l -guluronate (G) and β- d -mannuronate (M). Dense alginate gels (2% concentration) generated under strong ionic conditions (30 parts per thousand seawater) assumed a repeatable steric arrangement, and exhibited a relative regular spacing of solvent cavities (namely, H 2 O) within the gel. This suggests that cation bridges are formed at regular intervals along adjacent polymers under these conditions. This work demonstrates the utility of tapping-mode AFM for examining the structure and gel conformation of a pliant polymeric matrix.
Structural and Elite Features in Open Seat and Special U.S. House Elections: Is There a Sexual Bias?

Conventional wisdom long held that there was a bias against women in elections. Subsequent research indicates that men and women who challenge for elective office confront a common barrier: incumbency In this article we extend our previous research on women in open seat elections by examining the performance of women who compete in special elections. Female candidate emergence in special House contests is slightly higher than in regular open seats. Using multivariate regression models, our analysis uncovered no bias against women in special elections. Overall, the performance of women in special elections and open seats indicates that disruptions of the political status quo by the sudden vacancy creates opportunities that women exploit with effectiveness, although the low level of female candidate emergence limits the growth of descriptive female representation.
A Bandpass Filter Design Using Half-Wavelength Stepped Impedance Resonators With Internal Couplings

We propose a new type of microstrip half-wavelength (lambda/2) stepped impedance resonator (SIR) for use in bandpass filter (BPF) designs. This lambda/2 SIR has an internal coupling section that can be used to generate a coupling coefficient in the filter design in addition to couplings between SIRs. It also contains additional stepped impedance lines that shift and suppress the lowest even-mode resonance frequencies to more than what can be achieved by conventional lambda/2 SIRs. Moreover, a transmission zero is generated close to its fundamental resonance frequency (f0) which can be used in definition of the filter response. A fourth-order microstrip BPF with 10% bandwidth was constructed using two of the proposed lambda/2 SIRs with a stepped impedance ratio (R) of 0.528. The experimental result shows that the filter can achieve low in-band loss and out-of-band attenuation of 52.6dB up to 3f0. The lowest spurious resonance frequency is shifted to 3f0 as opposed to 2.5f0 in conventional lambda/2 SIRs with the same R value
Oxide-melt solution calorimetry of selenides: Enthalpy of formation of zinc, cadmium, and lead selenide

Selenium is an important trace element. Its geochemical cycles involve various oxidation states, including Se2−, yet thermodynamic data for selenides are sparse. A general method for selenide thermochemistry has been developed by using oxidative drop-solution calorimetry in a molten oxide solvent. The samples are dropped from room temperature into molten sodium molybdate (3Na2O·4MoO3) solvent at 975 K, with oxygen bubbling through the melt to ensure rapid and complete conversion of selenide to dissolved selenate species. This method is analogous to that developed for sulfides (Deore and Navrotsky 2006). Complete dissolution of selenides is documented by furnace tests and visual inspection, and supported by consistent results for enthalpy. Enthalpies of formation (Δf H °, kJ/mol) from the elements were determined for zinc selenide (ZnSe) (−169.94 ± 4.31 kJ/mol), cadmium selenide (CdSe) (−139.04 ± 6.13 kJ/mol), and lead selenide (PbSe) (−99.26 ± 6.06 kJ/mol). These three Δf H ° values agree with previously published data, often obtained by less direct means. This is the first report of the enthalpy of formation of CdSe measured by any calorimetric method. For ZnSe, a more reliable Δf H ° value is proposed since prior data are quite scattered. The results confirm that oxidative drop-solution calorimetry is an available method for selenide thermochemistry. It should be applicable to binary and multinary selenides with large homogeneity ranges, to solid solutions, and to nanophase materials.
Cell-specific activity of the modulator region in the human cytomegalovirus major immediate-early gene

In this paper we demonstrate that modulator sequences upstream of the enhancer of the major immediate-early promoter of human cytomegalovirus exert a differential effect on the level of transcription in a variety of cells and that this region has the capacity to interact with specific nuclear protein. Depending on the cell type, these modulator sequences increased or decreased transcriptional activation from the IE1 gene promoter-enhancer. The cell lines identified in this report should be useful to study the molecular mechanism of cell-specific transcriptional repression and activation exerted by the major immediate-early promoter upstream region.
Artemisinin selectively decreases functional levels of estrogen receptor-alpha and ablates estrogen-induced proliferation in human breast cancer cells

MCF7 cells are an estrogen-responsive human breast cancer cell line that expresses both estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and ERbeta. Treatment of MCF7 cells with artemisinin, an antimalarial phytochemical from the sweet wormwood plant, effectively blocked estrogen-stimulated cell cycle progression induced by either 17beta-estradiol (E(2)), an agonist for both ERs, or by propyl pyrazole triol (PPT), a selective ERalpha agonist. Artemisinin strongly downregulated ERalpha protein and transcripts without altering expression or activity of ERbeta. Transfection of MCF7 cells with ERalpha promoter-linked luciferase reporter plasmids revealed that the artemisinin downregulation of ERalpha promoter activity accounted for the loss of ERalpha expression. Artemisinin treatment ablated the estrogenic induction of endogenous progesterone receptor (PR) transcripts by either E(2) or PPT and inhibited the estrogenic stimulation of a luciferase reporter plasmid driven by consensus estrogen response elements (EREs). Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that artemisinin significantly downregulated the level of endogeneous ERalpha bound to the PR promoter, whereas the level of bound endogeneous ERbeta was not altered. Treatment of MCF7 cells with artemisinin and the pure antiestrogen fulvestrant resulted in a cooperative reduction of ERalpha protein levels and enhanced G(1) cell cycle arrest compared with the effects of either compound alone. Our results show that artemisinin switches proliferative human breast cancer cells from expressing a high ERalpha:ERbeta ratio to a condition in which ERbeta predominates, which parallels the physiological state linked to antiproliferative events in normal mammary epithelium.
Femtosecond single-shot correlation system: a time-domain approach.

We introduce, analyze, and experimentally demonstrate what to the best of our knowledge is a new pulse correlation technique that is capable of real-time conversion of a femtosecond pulse sequence into its spatial image. Our technique uses a grating at the entrance of the system, thus introducing a transverse time delay (TTD) into the transform-limited reference pulse. The shaped signal pulses and the TTD reference pulse are mixed in a nonlinear optical crystal (LiB3O5), thus producing a second-harmonic field that carries the spatial image of the temporal shaped signal pulse. We show that the time scaling of the system is set by the magnification of the anamorphic imaging system as well as by the grating frequency and that the time window of the system is set by the size of the grating aperture. Our experimental results show a time window of ∼20 ps. We also show that the chirp information of the shaped pulse can be recovered by measurement of the spectrum of the resulting second-harmonic field.
A Thematic Analysis of the American Business Creed

In this study a manual content analysis was performed on speeches made by American businessmen. The speeches were divided into four groups according to whether they were given during the period between 1900 and 1929 or during the period between 1950 and 1967, and according to whether the businessmen were corporation managers or individual entrepreneurs. The speeches were measured for the presence of two ideological themes, "traditionalism" and "antistatism." It was hypothesized and found that: modern managers were more traditionalistic than early managers, modern entrepreneurs were more antistatist than either early entrepreneurs or managers, and that modern entrepreneurs were more antistatist than modern managers. It was also observed that modern managers were more traditionalistic than modern entrepreneurs. r he following study seeks to ascertain the social structural sources of two _ "conservative" ideological themes in the American business creed. The study is, thus, in the tradition of the sociology of knowledge. These two themes-which we have This content downloaded from 157.55.39.253 on Wed, 08 Jun 2016 06:32:30 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Fuzzy System with Increased Accuracy Suitable for FPGA implementaion

Fuzzy controllers are easy to design for complex control surfaces but produce rough control surfaces which might lead to unstable operation. On the other hand neural controllers are hard and complex to train but they produce very accurate output control surfaces compared to that of fuzzy controllers. The neuro-fuzzy controller proposed in this paper exploits the fuzzy systems nature of utilizing expert knowledge and also produces smooth surfaces by implementing it in neural networks. Monotonic sigmoid membership function is used to make the neural implementation an easy task. LM-Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm which is used for feed forward networks is implemented to train the neurons. A defuzzification with trigonometric approximation algorithm using LUT-Lookup Table is developed to implement in low cost microcontrollers to make the control system highly cost effective. It is shown through extensive simulations that the proposed model produces accurate and smooth control surfaces.
Leflunomide-Associated Skin Ulceration

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of skin ulceration as a result of treatment with leflunomide for rheumatoid arthritis.CASE SUMMARY:A 78-year-old white woman developed bilateral leg ulcers after 6 months of treatment with leflunomide for rheumatoid arthritis. A history of leg ulcers after methotrexate therapy had been documented. Serologic and diagnostic tests did not support an alternate process. Other medications prescribed were oral ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg/d, felodipine 5 mg/d, and paroxetine 20 mg/d, for which no documented correlation with the skin breakdown could be made.DISCUSSION:This is the first published case describing a possible relationship between the use of the immunosuppressant agent leflunomide and skin ulceration.CONCLUSIONS:Skin breakdown and ulceration is a recognized adverse effect of drugs with immunosuppressant activity such as methotrexate. Leflunomide, a newer agent prescribed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, may now be listed among the drugs in this category associated with...