cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient Replication of Adeno-Associated Virus Type 2 Vectors: a cis-Acting Element outside of the Terminal Repeats and a Minimal Size

Recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) can be produced in adenovirus-infected cells by cotransfecting a plasmid containing the recombinant AAV2 genome, which is generally comprised of the viral terminal repeats flanking a transgene, together with a second plasmid expressing the AAV2 rep and cap genes. However, recombinant viruses generally replicate inefficiently, often producing 100-fold fewer virus particles per cell than can be obtained after transfection with a plasmid containing a wild-type AAV2 genome. We demonstrate that this defect is due, at least in part, to the presence of a positive-acting cis element between nucleotides 194 and 1882 of AAV2. Recombinant AAV2 genomes lacking this region accumulated 14-fold less double-stranded, monomer-length replicative-form DNA than did wild-type AAV2. In addition, we demonstrate that a minimum genome size of 3.5 kb is required for efficient production of single-stranded viral DNA. Relatively small recombinant genomes (2,992 and 3,445 bp) accumulated three- to eightfold less single-stranded DNA per monomer-length replicative-form DNA molecule than wild-type AAV2. In contrast, recombinant AAV2 with larger genomes (3,555 to 4,712 bp) accumulated similar amounts of single-stranded DNA per monomer-length replicative-form DNA compared to wild-type AAV2. Analysis of two recombinant AAV2 genomes less than 3.5 kb in size indicated that they were deficient in the production of the extended form of monomer-length replicative-form DNA, which is thought to be the immediate precursor to single-stranded AAV2 DNA.
HUNDRED DAY LEUKEMIA: PREFERENTIAL INDUCTION IN RAT BY PULSE-DOSES OF 7,8,12-TRIMETHYLBENZ(A)ANTHRACENE

A series of pulse-doses of 7, 8, 12-trimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced leukemia rapidly and consistently in very high yield in rats of Long-Evans (L-E) strain. The predominant type was a diffuse hepatic leukemia of erythroblastic stem cells. Progressive hypothermia and a decline in pituitary function are newly recognized signs of advanced leukemia in rat.
Stack-level validation of a semi-analytic channel-to-channel fuel cell model for two-phase water distribution boundary value control

A dynamic model combining analytic and numeric solutions to the partial differential equations (PDE) describing mass transport in the gas diffusion layers (GDL) of a fuel cell is verified by voltage prediction. The model estimates the effect of stack temperature changes, reactant gas concentration fluctuation, and excess liquid water (flooding) in the GDL. The semi-analytic model is more computationally efficient than a fully numeric model, and includes both anode and cathode channel dynamics enabling future boundary value control.
Bioavailability of Selenium from Veal, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Flounder, Tuna, Selenomethionine, and Sodium Selenite Assessed in Selenium-Deficient Rats

The bioavailability of selenium (Se) from veal, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, flounder, tuna, selenomethionine (SeMet), and sodium selenite was assessed in Se-deficient Fischer-344 rats. Se as veal, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, flounder, tuna, SeMet, and sodium selenite was added to torula yeast (TY) basal diets to comprise Se-inadequate (0.05 mg Se/kg) diets. Se as sodium selenite was added to a TY basal diet to comprise a Se-adequate (0.10 mg Se/kg), Se-control diet. The experimental diets were fed to weanling Fischer-344 rats that had been subjected to dietary Se depletion for 6 wk. After 9 wk of the dietary Se repletion, relative activity of liver glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) from the different dietary groups compared with control rats (100%) was: flounder 106%, tuna 101%, pork 86%, sodium selenite 81%, SeMet 80%, beef 80%, chicken 77%, veal 77%, and lamb 58%. Se from flounder was the most efficient at restoring Se concentrations in the liver and skeletal muscle. Se from sodium selenite, SeMet, beef, veal, chicken, pork, lamb, and tuna was not dietarily sufficient to restore liver and muscle Se after 9 wk of recovery following a 6-wk period of Se depletion.
The stiff-person syndrome: an autoimmune disorder affecting neurotransmission of gamma-aminobutyric acid.

The stiff-person syndrome, a rare and disabling disorder, is characterized by muscle rigidity and episodic spasms that involve axial and limb musculature. Continuous contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles caused by involuntary motor-unit firing at rest are the hallmark clinical and electrophysiologic signs of the disease. Except for global muscle stiffness, results of neurologic examination are usually normal. Results of conventional computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain are also normal. The cause of the stiff-person syndrome is unknown; however, an autoimmune pathogenesis is suspected because of 1) the presence of antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of the inhibitory neurotransmitter g-aminobutyric acid (GABA); 2) the association of the disease with other autoimmune conditions; 3) the presence of various autoantibodies; and 4) a strong immunogenetic association. Anti-GAD antibodies, which are found in high titers in most patients, seem to be directed against conformational forms of GAD. New evidence suggests that these antibodies may be pathogenic because they interfere with the synthesis of GABA. In addition, a reduction in brain levels of GABA, which is prominent in the motor cortex, has been demonstrated with magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with the stiff-person syndrome. The stiff-person syndrome is clinically elusive but potentially treatable and should be considered in patients with unexplained stiffness and spasms. Drugs that enhance GABA neurotransmission, such as diazepam, vigabatrin, and baclofen, provide mild to modest relief of clinical symptoms. Immunomodulatory agents, such as steroids, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin, seem to offer substantial improvement. Results of an ongoing controlled trial will elucidate the role of these agents in the treatment of the disease. Ann Intern Med. 1999;131:522-530.
Gender-Specific Effects of Prenatal and Adolescent Exposure to Tobacco Smoke on Auditory and Visual Attention

Prenatal exposure to active maternal tobacco smoking elevates risk of cognitive and auditory processing deficits, and of smoking in offspring. Recent preclinical work has demonstrated a sex-specific pattern of reduction in cortical cholinergic markers following prenatal, adolescent, or combined prenatal and adolescent exposure to nicotine, the primary psychoactive component of tobacco smoke. Given the importance of cortical cholinergic neurotransmission to attentional function, we examined auditory and visual selective and divided attention in 181 male and female adolescent smokers and nonsmokers with and without prenatal exposure to maternal smoking. Groups did not differ in age, educational attainment, symptoms of inattention, or years of parent education. A subset of 63 subjects also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an auditory and visual selective and divided attention task. Among females, exposure to tobacco smoke during prenatal or adolescent development was associated with reductions in auditory and visual attention performance accuracy that were greatest in female smokers with prenatal exposure (combined exposure). Among males, combined exposure was associated with marked deficits in auditory attention, suggesting greater vulnerability of neurocircuitry supporting auditory attention to insult stemming from developmental exposure to tobacco smoke in males. Activation of brain regions that support auditory attention was greater in adolescents with prenatal or adolescent exposure to tobacco smoke relative to adolescents with neither prenatal nor adolescent exposure to tobacco smoke. These findings extend earlier preclinical work and suggest that, in humans, prenatal and adolescent exposure to nicotine exerts gender-specific deleterious effects on auditory and visual attention, with concomitant alterations in the efficiency of neurocircuitry supporting auditory attention.
Mutual Influences in Adult Romantic Attachment, Religious Coping, and Marital Adjustment

This study examined associations among romantic attachment anxiety and avoidance, positive and negative religious coping, and marital adjustment in a community sample of 81 heterosexual couples. Both spouses completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR), a brief measure of religious coping (Brief RCOPE), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and a demographic questionnaire as part of a larger study. Multilevel modeling (MLM) for the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) was used. Attachment avoidance was inversely related to positive religious coping. In contrast, attachment anxiety was directly related to negative religious coping. Positive religious coping buffered the relationship between attachment avoidance and marital adjustment. In contrast, attachment anxiety was detrimental to marital adjustment regardless of positive religious coping, and positive religious coping was related to higher marital adjustment only in the context of low attachment anxiety. Surprisingly, the spouse's attachment anxiety was inversely related to the respondent's marital adjustment only when the respondent reported low levels of negative religious coping, whereas in the context of high negative religious coping, the partner's attachment anxiety was related to higher marital adjustment. Results support using attachment theory to conceptualize religious coping and the consideration of both attachment and religious coping constructs in counseling.
Risks associated with the use of chemicals in pond aquaculture

Abstract The most common substances used in pond aquaculture are fertilizers and liming materials. Fertilizers are highly soluble and release nutrients that can cause eutrophication of natural waters. Fertilizers are also corrosive and some are highly explosive, so proper handling is necessary to prevent accidents. Some liming materials are caustic and can be hazardous to workers if proper precautions are not exercised. Liming materials do not cause environmental problems, and liming and inorganic fertilizer compounds do not present food safety concerns. An array of other substances is used less frequently in aquaculture including: oxidants, disinfectants, osmoregulators, algicides, coagulants, herbicides, and probiotics. These compounds or biological products quickly degrade or precipitate. They are not bioaccumulative and do not cause environmental perturbations in natural waters receiving pond effluents. Accidental spills of some substances could cause environmental damage. Most substances used in pond aquaculture to improve soil or water quality present little or no risk to food safety. The use of human wastes in aquaculture or the contamination of aquaculture systems with agricultural or industrial pollution could result in product contamination and food safety concerns. Some substances pose safety risks to workers, explosion or fire hazards, or cause mild pollution.
How African-American journalists view America’s social institutions into the 21st century

This descriptive national nonparametric survey describes how N = 153 African-American newspaper journalists forecast 12 U.S. social institutions into the year 2015. An institutional attitude index ...
Competence Implies Credibility

The credibility of monetary policy under discretion has been traditionally linked to the Central Bank’s conservatism. We show that another trait of the Central Bank (CB), her competence at doing her job, or reputation thereof, can be just as important to make her policy credible and transparent. We analyze a static Barro and Gordon (1983)’s game, where the effects of monetary policy depend on an unknown state of the economy. The CB forms her own private and imprecise view of this state, that she may announce to P in a cheap talk game to explain and motivate her policy intentions. The precision of the noise in the CB’s view measures her competence: the more accurate her assessment, the clearer an idea she has about what to do. The fineness of the equilibrium message space measures monetary policy’s transparency. In any equilibrium of the cheap talk game, the CB credibly announces one of finite inflation targets, that differ by at least a multiple of the inflation bias/competence ratio. If this ratio is too large, the CB can credibly communicate only the direction of monetary policy. As the CB’s competence rises, and this ratio falls, P knows that the CB puts increasing weight on pursuing her ‘objective’ targets, relative to surprising expectations to stimulate output. Therefore, the equilibrium message space becomes finer. A more competent CB is also less likely to erroneously observe extreme realizations of the shocks, so she is more able tofine-tune expectations at times of ‘business as usual’.
Paleomagnetism and tectonic rotation of the lower Miocene Peach Springs Tuff: Colorado Plateau, Arizona, to Barstow, California

We have determined remanent magnetization directions of the lower Miocene Peach Springs Tuff at 41 localities in western Arizona and southeastern California. An unusual northeast and shallow magnetization direction confirms the proposed geologic correlation of isolated outcrops of the tuff from the Colorado Plateau to Barstow, California, a distance of 350 km. The Peach Springs Tuff was apparently emplaced as a single cooling unit about 18 or 19 Ma and is now exposed in 4 tectonic provinces west of the Plateau, including the Transition Zone, Basin and Range, Colorado River extensional corridor, and central Mojave Desert strike-slip zone. As such, the tuff is an ideal stratigraphic and structural marker for paleomagnetic assessment of regional variations in tectonic rotations about vertical axes. From 4 sites on the stable Colorado Plateau, we have determined a reference direction of remanent magnetization (I = 36.4°, D = 33.0°, α 95 = 3.4°) that we interpret as a representation of the ambient magnetic field at the time of eruption. A steeper direction of magnetization (I = 54.8°, D = 22.5°, α 95 = 2.3°) was observed at Kingman where the tuff is more than 100 m thick, and similar directions were determined at 7 other thick exposures of the Peach Springs Tuff. The steeper component is presumably a later-stage magnetization acquired after prolonged cooling of the ignimbrite. When compared to the Plateau reference direction, tilt-corrected directions from 3 of 6 sites in the central Mojave strike-slip zone show localized rotations up to 13° in the vicinity of strike-slip faults. The other three sites show no significant rotations with respect to the Colorado Plateau. Both clockwise and counterclockwise rotations were measured, and no systematic regional pattern is evident. Our results do not support kinematic models which require consistent rotation of large regions to accommodate the cumulative displacement of major post-middle Miocene strike-slip faults in the central Mojave Desert. Most of our sites in the Transition Zone and Basin and Range province have had no significant rotation, although small counterclockwise rotation in the McCullough and New York Mountains may be related to sinistral shear along en echelon faults southwest of the Lake Mead shear zone. The larger rotations occur in the Colorado River extensional corridor, where 8 of 14 sites show rotations ranging from 37° clockwise to 51° counterclockwise. These rotations occur in allochthonous tilt blocks which have been transported northeastward above the Chemehuevi-Whipple Mountains detachment fault. Upper-plate blocks within 1 km of the exposed detachment unexpectedly show no significant rotation. From this relation, we infer that rotations are accommodated along numerous low-angle faults at higher structural levels above the detachment surface.
Evolution of Metabolic Syndrome from Childhood

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), the concurrence of inextricably linked disorders including obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension, has gained importance because of its association with subsequent morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. This chapter reviews observations on the MetS in children and adults from the Bogalusa Heart Study, a biracial (black–white) community-based longitudinal study of the early natural history of cardiovascular disease beginning in childhood. The evolution of the definition, the role of obesity in the pathogenesis of the syndrome, tracking from childhood to adulthood and black–white difference in prevalence of the MetS are described. With respect to clustering analysis of the MetS components, conventional and advanced statistical methodologies, including observed to expected ratio, intraclass correlation, factor analysis and path analysis, are explained in detail. Observations from the Bogalusa Heart Study reinforce recommendations to prevent and modulate the development of the MetS during childhood.
Effect of atorvastatin on baroreflex sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia

In this prospective study, we examined the effect of atorvastatin treatment on baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in subjects with type 2 diabetes. A total of 79 patients with type 2 diabetes with dyslipidaemia were recruited. A total of 46 subjects were enrolled to atorvastatin 10 mg daily and low-fat diet and 33 patients to low-fat diet only. BRS was assessed non-invasively using the sequence method at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Treatment with atorvastatin increased BRS after 12 months (from 6.46 ± 2.79 ms/mmHg to 8.05 ± 4.28 ms/mmHg, p = 0.03), while no effect was seen with low-fat diet. Further sub-analysis according to obesity status showed that BRS increased significantly only in the non-obese group (p = 0.036). A low dose of atorvastatin increased BRS in non-obese subjects with type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia after 1-year treatment. This finding emphasizes the beneficial effect of atorvastatin on cardiovascular system, beyond the lipid-lowering effects.
Adsorption of Sulfonic Acid Doped Poly(vinyl chloride) on Barium Ferrite Particles

Adsorption of sulfonic acid doped poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC–SO3H) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) on barium ferrite particles is described. The maximum surface adsorption of PVC–SO3H on barium ferrite was twice that of PVC. Surface chemical interaction between the sulfonic acid groups and barium ferrite surfaces was examined by adsorption of toluene-4-sulfonic acid. Sulfonic acid groups were found to adsorb selectively on both Ba–OH and Fe–OH sites by an acid–base interaction. Increasing the hydroxyl content on the barium ferrite surface creates increased dispersion stability in the presence of sulfonic acid doped PVC.
Video containers: a system for the on-demand storage, delivery, and management of television programs

Television programs (both broadcast and cable) have pre-determined starting times and durations, which often do not match the preferred viewing times of most people. Also, several programs of interest might have overlapping times. To alleviate this rigid viewing situation, the paper proposes a system for the on-demand, online storage of user selected TV programs, and their subsequent management and delivery, which provides flexibility of customized viewing and recording of TV programs. It also facilitates the editing, annotation and archival of the stored TV programs suited to users' convenience, taste, and format. The proposed system is expected to have tremendous impacts on the consumption and dissemination of information in many diverse areas such as personal entertainment, journalism, education, commerce, and several others.
Salvage surgery following radiation failure in squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx.

Purpose : We analyzed the clinical course of patients who developed local (primary) recurrence following high-dose irradiation of squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx. Methods and Materials : Between October 1964 and July 1991, 206 patients with previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx underwent radiotherapy with curative intent. Local failure occurred in 46 (22%) patients. Successful surgical salvage was defined as no evidence of recurrent cancer for at least 2 years after salvage surgery and continuously thereafter. Results : Sixteen patients did not undergo salvage surgery because of refusal (7 patients), severe medical illness (2 patients), concurrent distant metastasis (5 patients), or unresectable neck disease (2 patients). Twenty-six patients underwent total laryngectomy, and 4 patients had a voice-sparing procedure. Successful salvage was achieved in 50% of patients who underwent surgery. The rate of successful salvage did not correlate with preirradiation T-stage or time to failure after irradiation. Most of the failures after surgery were because of failure to control the primary cancer. The overall rate of postsurgical complications was 37%. No operative or perioperative deaths occurred. The 5-year survival rate for all 46 patients, calculated from the date of irradiation failure, was 20%, while the 5-year survival rate after salvage surgery for the 30 patients who underwent the procedure was 29%. Conclusion : There are few data in the literature regarding the clinical outcome in patients whose tumors are not controlled by initial radiotherapy. In the current and previous series, one-half to two-thirds of patients who developed primary failure underwent salvage surgery, which was successful in approximately half of the operated patients, leading to a 25-30% rate of long-term disease-free survival among the entire group of patients who developed failure.
Substrate Choice by Three Species of Darters (Teleostei: Percidae) in an Artificial Stream: Effects of a Nonnative Species

Abstract Etheostoma zonale, the banded darter, was introduced to the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania, through an interbasin transfer. We examined the effects of darter density and the presence of E. zonale on the substrate choice of two native darter species (Etheostoma olmstedi, the tessellated darter, and Percina peltata, the shield darter) in an artificial stream. In single species trials, E. olmstedi, E. zonale, and P. peltata exhibited nonrandom substrate selection and occupied patches of large substrate significantly (P < 0.05) more often than expected. No intraspecific density effects were observed. The presence of E. zonale did not affect the substrate choice of P. peltata but did induce a shift of E. olmstedi from large to small substrate in high-density trials (P < 0.05). Etheostoma zonale was most frequently the aggressor in behavioral interactions. Neither E. olmstedi nor P. peltata directed any agonistic behavior toward E. zonale; however 40% of aggressive acts initiated by E. zonale we...
Technology, Reproduction, and Faith

Technology can change everything. Technology opens horizons and makes possible what was once, at best, only imaginable. In so doing technologies can change human practices and, in altering human practices, technologies have the potential to influence and change moral values. While neither good or bad in itself technology changes the way men and women see the world and act in it. In so doing technology can influence what is identified as appropriate and inappropriate moral acts and values.
The Challenge of Modernity. Essays on Grazia Deledda

Sharon Wood (ed.) (2007) The Challenge of Modernity. Essays on Grazia Deledda (Leicester: Trobador), 248 pp., ISBN 978-1906221-676, US$32.95, soft cover Updating Deledda Together with Margherita He...
Effect of Oriented Platy Filler on the Fracture Mechanism of Elastomers

Abstract Through an investigation of tension fatigue failure modes, oriented platy fillers have been found to provide elastomers with a unique failure mechanism which allows the elastomer to resist destructive crack growth. Samples of chlorosulfonated polyethylene containing talc as a reinforcing agent failed in an interlaminar shear mode, parallel to the applied stress. This fracture pattern resulted from diversion of the classical Griffith-type crack which would normally proceed perpendicularly to the stress. The theoretical criterion for diversion requires the adhesive fracture energy, Gad, in the plane of the diverted crack to be about one-tenth of the cohesive fracture energy, Gco, in the plane of the Griffith crack. Measured values of the fracture energies determined by 180° peel (Gad) tests and trouser tear (Gco) tests showed that the talc-filled elastomer satisfied the criterion. However, the criterion was met, not by the introduction of planes of weakness in the lateral direction (thereby reducin...
Are Social Work Students Different

The accompushments of any profession and the recognition it attains are directly and vitally affected by the number and competency of its individual members. The adequacy of the supply of incoming new members of the profession and the quality of their endowments deserve careful study if recruitment to the profession is to be aided. Numerous questions concerning sup ply as well as questions concerning the en dowments or competencies could be posed for study. Studies of this kind should be con ducted in and for the profession of social work.
Identification of a specific site required for rapid heterologous desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

The molecular basis for heterologous desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor (beta AR) was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis of the beta AR protein. Rapid heterologous desensitization of agonist-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was observed when L cells expressing the wild-type beta AR were incubated with 50 nM epinephrine. This desensitization response could be mimicked in a cell-free system by incubation with cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cA.PK). Deletion of amino acid residues 259-262 from the beta AR, removing one of the two consensus sequences in the receptor for phosphorylation by cA.PK, abolished the ability of the receptor to undergo rapid heterologous desensitization. In contrast, deletion of the other cA.PK consensus sequence (residues 343-348) or truncation of the Ser/Thr-rich C-terminal tail of the beta AR (deletion of residues 354-418) did not affect this heterologous desensitization process. These results suggest that the action of cA.PK on amino acid residue(s) contained within the sequence 259-262 of the beta AR is required for rapid heterologous desensitization of the receptor in response to agonists.
Health Care, Medicine, and Chinese Society

This book explores the spectrum of health care available to people in Imperial China, and analyzes important parts of it. It focuses on ideas and methods of therapy in the long eleventh century (960-1127) and their interaction. Historians have concentrated on the high medical tradition, with its rich sources, but its physicians treated few outside the class that governed China and owned most of its wealth. Who, then, cared for the vast majority, illiterate, mostly rural, and largely poor? They depended on the resources available in their own villages—from local herbalists, popular priests, and others—and, for epidemics and other collective crises, from Buddhist and Daoist priests and occasionally from local officials. To most Chinese, curative rites were more familiar than medical prescriptions. The book applies medical anthropology and the sociology of medicine to interpret the rich evidence of ritual therapy in the eleventh century.
“No place for wilderness”: Urban parks and the assembling of neoliberal urban environmental governance☆

For well over a decade, urban political ecology has been concerned with the neoliberalization of infrastructure as a key site of struggle in the reproduction of urban space. While urban forests, trees, and parks have not featured as prominently in that literature as other resources (e.g., water), they are increasingly managed and promoted as a form of “green” infrastructure by city governments eager to ally themselves with new environmentally-oriented framings of the modern city. Yet, the relationship between these new forms of green infrastructure and the neoliberalization of the city, in particular their ability to enable new ways of taking about the city and nature, and to constrain others, has been understudied. In this paper, I examine the ways in which urban parks are enrolled in political struggles to reorient the techniques of urban governance toward entrepreneurialism as the only viable model for economic development. Through a case study of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park System, I examine a series of events during the previous three decades in which Fairmount Park has become subject to this reorientation toward entrepreneurialism. Specifically, I examine how parks, no longer treated as spaces of “nature”, have been reframed as self-supporting constituents of a business-minded urbanism, promotional tools for the attraction of new labor to the city, and a reinforcement of the notion of entrepreneurialism as the inevitable urban development strategy for the 21st century. Yet, I also argue that these transformations are always in a process of negotiation. Even as parks become subject to these dominating discourses, new park construction is a site in which the conceptual assumptions that underpin neoliberal urban policy aren’t frictionlessly transferred from one instance to another but, even when successful, require significant work to overcome competing visions of urban nature.
Can Guest Occupancy in Binary Clathrate Hydrates Be Tuned through Control of the Growth Temperature

Clathrate hydrates are nonstoichiometric compounds comprised of a hydrogen-bonded water network that forms polyhedral cages that can be occupied by small guest molecules. Clathrates are candidate m...
The Perceived Effects of Piggyback Television Commercials

The piggyback technique is becoming more important in television advertising. This article examines behavioral and media considerations that contribute to the popularity of the piggyback, and repor...
クログワイの病原菌 Nimbya scirpicola の胞子の調製法と保存法

難防除雑草の一つであるクログワイ (Eleocharis kuroguwai OHWI) の罹病葉の病斑から単離した病原菌 Nimbya scirpicola K-004菌を活性成分とした微生物除草剤の開発の一環として, N. scirpicola 胞子の調製法, 保存法を検討し, その病原力を温室において試験した. ナイロンメッシュスクリーンに塗布した菌糸をゲル化し, 培養して生産した胞子を乾燥して吸引回収したところ, 通常の固体培地上で培養した胞子より生産性に優れ, また, 保存性も優れていた (生産性: 8.3倍, 保存性: 4℃で10か月, -20℃で12か月). また, 本法により調製した胞子を, 対象雑草であるクログワイへ接種したところ, 通常の固体培地上で培養した胞子と同等の病原力を示した.
Brain protection of hypoxia-inducible factor-1

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1) is a protein factor first found in the family of hypoxia inducible factors.The expression of HIF-1 significantly increases during tissue hypoxia.HIF-1 is an important regulatory factor in a hypoxic environment,and it has regulatory effect on transcription ofhypoxia responsive gene,and participates in signal transduction processes of hypoxia response.This paper reviewed structure and location of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and its target genes,introduced HIF-1 activity of the regulation,including transcription of the target genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor,erythropoietin and nitric oxide synthase,so it becomes regulatory center to stabilize intracellular environment in hypoxic response.
A Step-by-step Configuration Method of Single Tuned Filter for Multi-harmonic Sources in Distribution Network Based on Thevenin Equivalent

A rational configuration of the single tuned filter is an effective way to suppress harmonics.According to the Thevenin equivalent model for the single tuned filter,this paper analyzes the harmonic suppression mechanism of the single tuned filter.In view of the harmonic problem of multi-harmonic sources in the distribution network,a step-by-step configuration method of single tuned filter for multi-harmonic sources in the distribution network based on Thevenin equivalent is proposed with the whole network harmonic control effect as the objective.In each step,the influencing factor expression of the configuration node for the single tuned filter is deduced.The effectiveness of the proposed configuration method of single tuned filter is verified through simulation analysis.
Management of yolk sac tumors in children.

SUMMARY The current trend toward minimizing treatment morbidity in children with yolk sac carcinomas is laudable. As most children will present with stage I disease and be cured by radical orchiectomy alone, careful surveillance is adequate with the knowledge that effective chemotherapy is available should tumor recur. All new yolk sac carcinomas in children should be reported to the Prepubertal Testicular Tumor Registry and should ideally be treated at institutions that have experience with surveillance protocols and pediatric oncology. In this way, prospective studies on treatment options can be initiated, and management controversies may ultimately be ironed out. In particular, more information is needed on patients more than 2 years old, as the literature to date is contradictory1, 18, 20 regarding the prognosis for these patients and the need for adjuvant therapy when the older child presents with stage I disease.
The relationship of diet to cancer, cardiovascular disease and longevity.

Diet is linked to the etiology of about 50% of all cancers, acting as a promoter, in the multi-step pathogenesis of cancer. Research indicates that a high-fat and low-fiber diet increases the risk for some cancers. The aim is to have people eat a low-fat diet of 25% or less of total daily calories and a high-fiber diet of 20-30 gm/daily. Research also indicates that a lack of host resistance increases the risk for cancer, acting as a promoter. Vitamins A, B6, C & E and the minerals selenium and zinc have proved to be safe and since they have shown some evidence of being able to restore or maintain immunocompetence they are recommended as dietary supplements. Exercise, a low-fat and high-fiber diet and avoiding obesity are not only important in reducing cancer incidence and thereby increasing longevity but they are also important in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease, i.e., strokes and coronary heart disease. Total cholesterol levels less than 200 mg/dl are desirable, those between 200-239 mg/dl place patients at borderline risk and those 240 mg/dl or higher place them at high risk. Of equal, or even greater importance are the levels of the "bad cholesterol" LDL that produces arteriosclerosis. Levels less than 130 mg/dl are desirable, those between 130-159 place patients at borderline risk and those over 160 mg/dl place them at high risk. The higher the levels are for the "good cholesterol' HDL, then the lower is the risk, with the norms being 30-75 mg/dl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Time trends in adult chronic disease inequalities by education in Brazil: 1998–2013

Socioeconomic differences in health in Brazil are largely driven by differences in educational attainment. In this paper, we assess whether educational gradients in chronic disease prevalence have narrowed in Brazil from 1998 to 2013, a period of a booming economy accompanied by major investments in public health in the country. Individual-level data came from the 1998, 2003 and 2008 Brazilian National Household Survey and the 2013 National Health Survey. We first evaluate age-standardized prevalence rates of chronic disease by education and second, we predict the estimated prevalence rate between those in low vs. high education to assess if relative changes in chronic disease have narrowed over time. Third, we estimate the slope index of inequality (SII) that evaluates the absolute change in the predicted prevalence of a disease between those in low vs. high education. Finally, we tested for statistically significant time trends in adult chronic disease inequalities by education. Prevalence of diabetes and hypertension have increased over the period, whereas the prevalence of heart disease decreased. Brazilian adults with no education had higher levels of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease than those with some college or more. Adjusted prevalence for hypertension and heart disease indicate some progress in reducing educational disparities over time. However, for diabetes, adjusted results show a continuously increasing educational disparity from 1998 to 2013. By 2013, individuals with no education had about two times higher diabetes prevalence than those with higher education with larger disparity among women. Results confirm findings from previous work that educational inequalities in health are large in Brazil but also provide evidence suggesting some improvement in narrowing these differentials in recent times. Recent policies aiming at reducing the prevalence of obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption, and increasing physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables may increase the overall health and wellbeing of the Brazilian population. These programs are likely to be more effective if they target those with low socioeconomic status, as they appeared to be at a higher risk of developing chronic conditions, and promote educational opportunities.
2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b) pyridine (PhIP) induces gene expression changes in JAK/STAT and MAPK pathways related to inflammation, diabetes and cancer.

2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine (PhIP), a heterocyclic aromatic amine (HCA) formed in meat that is cooked at high temperatures and then ingested, can potentially be retained in human adipose tissues. To determine if PhIP is bioactive in the adipocyte, we exposed a human adipocyte cell line,HepG2 and Caco-2 cells to low dose PhIP. Uptake and retention of PhIP was determined and cytotoxicity was assessed by the TUNEL assay. Relative expression of PhIP-activating genes (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, SULT1A1 and UGT1A1) was determined by RT-PCR and global expression changes were also examined. The percent retention of 0.1 μCi [14C]-PhIP over a 24 h period was significantly higher in the adipocyte than the HepG2 (p = 0.0001) and Caco-2 (p = 0.0007) cell lines. Cytotoxicity rates were 14.4 and 2.6 % higher compared to controls in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells (p < 0.001 and 0.054, respectively); no significant differences were detected in adipocyte cells (p = 0.18). Caco-2 and HepG2 cells, respectively, had significantly higher basal expression of CYP1A1 (p = 0.001, p = 0.003), SULT1A1 (p = 0.04, p < 0.001) and UGT1A1 (p < 0.001, p = 0.01) compared to the adipocyte. Exposure to 5nM PhIP did not significantly induce expression of these genes in any of the cell lines. Global gene expression analysis of mature adipocytes exposed to 5nM PhIP for 72 h resulted in statistically significant changes in 8 genes (ANGPTL2, CD14, CIDEA, EGR1, FOS, IGFBP5, PALM and PSAT1). Gene-gene interaction and pathway analysis indicates that PhIP modulates genes controlled by the STAT3 transcriptional factor and initiates leptin signaling via the JAK/STAT and MAPK pathway cascades. Early growth response 1 (EGR1) and prostaglandin synthase 2 (COX-2) were down-regulated via c-Fos, while insulin binding protein 5 (IBP5) was up regulated. Expression of transcription factors (ANGPTL2, HP, LEP, SAA1, SAA2), genes related to inflammation (SAA1, LEP), diabetes (IGFBP5) and cancer risk (SAA2) were also elevated upon exposure to 5 nM PhIP.. PhIP mediates gene expression changes within the adipocyte, and the pathways most affected are related to cancer and other chronic diseases. Further studies are needed on the relationship between dietary carcinogens such as PhIP with cancer, obesity and diabetes.
The Statistical Distribution of Coefficients for Constructing Eigenvector Spatial Filters

This chapter presents an exploratory simulation experiment to investigate the distribution of coefficients that are used to construct eigenvector spatial filters. The experiment involves five hexagonal tessellations and three levels of autocorrelation. The results of this experiment show that coefficients for eigenvectors selected to construct a spatial filer approximately follow a gamma distribution. The shape and scale parameters of the gamma distribution fitted to coefficient frequency distributions are further investigated.
How to Work With Large Meat Buyers to Improve Animal Welfare

Large meat buyers need simple easy-to-use audit tools. Assessments suitable for commercial use often have to be simpler than data collection methods used in research. The use of animal based outcome standards is recommended over input standards. The most effective audit tools emphasize directly observable things instead of a reliance on paperwork. To prevent serious welfare issues, there are certain critical noncompliances, which should result in failure. There is a tendency to have audit forms with too many items and items of minor importance are mixed in with the most important items. There are three parts to a robust auditing program: internal audits, third party audits, and audits done by the corporate buyers. When one of these parts is missing a failure to maintain standards is more likely to occur.
Kicks Inc.: Confidential Information for Luis Martinez (Father)

Kicks Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of athletic apparel and shoes, had plans to launch a new tennis shoe line within the year and was seeking an up-and-coming young athlete to be its spokesperson. Sebastian Martinez had emerged as an ideal candidate, and contract discussions were underway. Six issues need to be resolved to the satisfaction of the six parties involved—the athlete, the athlete's mother, the athlete's father, the athlete's agent, the Kicks brand manager, and an International Tennis Federation representative. This case provides specific role information for the athlete's father. The case needs to be accompanied by the background information case, UVA-QA-0739. Excerpt UVA-QA-0744 Rev. Dec. 2, 2010 Confidential Information for Luis Martinez (Father) Luis Martinez grew up in Buenos Aires watching Guillermo Vilas, the great Argentine clay-court specialist and International Tennis Hall of Famer. Vilas's success during the 1970s and '80s—with four Grand Slam titles—boosted the popularity of tennis in Argentina and inspired young players, including Luis. Luis came from a modest background and never had the luxury of playing tennis because he had to work to help support his family. He had always thought that if he had a son, he would want him to play tennis, allowing his son the opportunity he himself never had. Luis had worked his way up from a low-level employee to a plant manager at a local steel manufacturer. He had met Adriana while he was in his twenties and fell in love with her. She was an American, from an upper-middle-class family in Florida. They met in Argentina while she was on an archaeology trip during college and discovered their mutual passion for tennis; although he had never played, at the time, she was competing for her small college. She moved to Argentina after finishing her undergraduate degree and married Luis. When Adriana was pregnant with Sebastian, they both decided he would be a tennis player and hoped their son would love the sport as much as they did. Sebastian first enrolled in tennis lessons when he was five years old. Luis knew he had talent, so he worked long hours to afford the best coaching in Buenos Aires. Luis's work prevented him from being home as much as he wanted, but each Friday he would drive straight from the plant to Sebastian's tournaments. He grew slightly resentful of Adriana, knowing that she was able to spend so much time with Sebastian during the day—whether attending clinic (practice) or going through Sebastian's homeschool lessons. He hoped, however, that these long hours would pay off, and he was proud of Sebastian for learning the foundations of hard work through tennis. With the Argentine Tennis Association's sponsorship of Sebastian's move to Saddlebrook, Luis already could see the investment paying off. He just hoped that Sebastian would continue to remain focused and dedicated to his goals. . . .
Stilbene Boronic Acids Form a Covalent Bond with Human Transthyretin and Inhibit Its Aggregation

Transthyretin (TTR) is a homotetrameric protein. Its dissociation into monomers leads to the formation of fibrils that underlie human amyloidogenic diseases. The binding of small molecules to the thyroxin-binding sites in TTR stabilizes the homotetramer and attenuates TTR amyloidosis. Herein, we report on boronic acid-substituted stilbenes that limit TTR amyloidosis in vitro. Assays of affinity for TTR and inhibition of its tendency to form fibrils were coupled with X-ray crystallographic analysis of nine TTR·ligand complexes. The ensuing structure–function data led to a symmetrical diboronic acid that forms a boronic ester reversibly with serine 117. This diboronic acid inhibits fibril formation by both wild-type TTR and a common disease-related variant, V30M TTR, as effectively as does tafamidis, a small-molecule drug used to treat TTR-related amyloidosis in the clinic. These findings establish a new modality for covalent inhibition of fibril formation and illuminate a path for future optimization.
A Conceptual Model of Human Workflows

The ability to understand human workflows is crucial for information systems to monitor and support people performing real-life activities, such as preparing a meal to performing a medical procedure. This paper introduces a conceptual model to capture the knowledge necessary for computers to make sense of human workflows. A computational model based on behavior trees is presented to represent human workflows in a hierarchy of abstraction levels, and a 3d simulation platform is developed to validate the model independent of supporting infrastructure.
Does getting stigma under the skin make it thinner? Emotion regulation as a stress-contingent mediator of stigma and mental health

Emotion regulation deficits may link stigma to poor mental health, yet authors of existing studies have relied on self-reported stigma and have not considered contextual factors. In the present research, we examined associations among cultural stigma (i.e., objective devaluation of one’s stigmatized status), emotion regulation deficits, and poor mental health. In Study 1, we created an index of cultural stigma by asking members of the general public and stigma experts to indicate desired social distance toward 93 stigmatized attributes. In Study 2, emotion regulation deficits mediated the association between cultural stigma and adverse mental health outcomes, including depressive symptoms and alcohol use problems, among individuals endorsing diverse stigmatized identities. The indirect effect of cultural stigma, via emotion regulation, on these outcomes was stronger among those reporting more life stress. These findings highlight the adverse impact of cultural stigma on mental health and its role in poten...
Advances in Bearing Materials for Total Artificial Hip Arthroplasty

Currently used artificial hip joints are mainly composed of femoral head of monolithic alumina or alumina-zirconia composites articulating against cross-linked polyethylene liner of acetabular cup or Co-Cr alloy in a self-mated configuration. However, possibility of fracture of ceramics or its composites, PE wear debris-induced osteolysis, and hypersensitivity issue due to metal ion release cannot be eliminated. In some cases, thin ultra-hard diamond-based, TiN coatings on Ti-6A-4V or thin zirconia layer on the Zr-Nb alloy have been fabricated to develop high wear resistant bearing surfaces. However, these coatings showed poor adhesion in tribological testing. To provide high wear resistance and mechanical reliability to femoral head, a new kind of ceramic/metal artificial hip joint hybrid was recently proposed in which a dense layer of alumina was formed onto Ti-6Al-4V alloy by deposition of Al metal layer by cold spraying or cold metal transfer methods with an Al3Ti intermetallic reaction layer at interface to improve adhesion. An optimal micro-arc oxidation treatment transformed Al to dense alumina layer. Science and technology of alumina/Ti alloy hybrid are summarized in this chapter.