cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A mouse model of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease with biliary duct and proximal tubule dilatation

Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is caused by mutations in the polycystic kidney and hepatic disease (PKHD1) gene encoding the protein fibrocystin/polyductin. The aim of our study was to produce a mouse model of ARPKD in which there was no functional fibrocystin/polyductin to study the pathophysiology of cystic and fibrocystic disease in renal and non-renal tissues. Exon 2 of the gene was deleted and replaced with a neomycin resistance cassette flanked by loxP sites, which could be subsequently removed by Cre-lox recombinase. Homozygous Pkhd1del2/del2 mice were viable, fertile and exhibited hepatic, pancreatic, and renal abnormalities. The biliary phenotype displayed progressive bile duct dilatation, resulting in grossly cystic and fibrotic livers in all animals. The primary cilia in the bile ducts of these mutant mice had structural abnormalities and were significantly shorter than those of wild-type (WT) animals. The Pkhd1del2/del2 mice often developed pancreatic cysts and some exhibited gross pancreatic enlargement. In the kidneys of affected female mice, there was tubular dilatation of the S3 segment of the proximal tubule (PT) starting at about 9 months of age, whereas male mice had normal kidneys up to 18 months of age. Inbreeding the mutation onto BALBc/J or C57BL/6J background mice resulted in females developing PT dilatation by 3 months of age. These inbred mice will be useful resources for studying the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ARPKD.
Effects of multiple climate change factors on the tall fescue-fungal endophyte symbiosis: infection frequency and tissue chemistry

Summary •Climate change (altered CO2, warming, and precipitation) may affect plant–microbial interactions, such as the Lolium arundinaceum–Neotyphodium coenophialum symbiosis, to alter future ecosystem structure and function. •To assess this possibility, tall fescue tillers were collected from an existing climate manipulation experiment in a constructed old-field community in Tennessee (USA). Endophyte infection frequency (EIF) was determined, and infected (E+) and uninfected (E−) tillers were analysed for tissue chemistry. •The EIF of tall fescue was higher under elevated CO2 (91% infected) than with ambient CO2 (81%) but was not affected by warming or precipitation treatments. Within E+ tillers, elevated CO2 decreased alkaloid concentrations of both ergovaline and loline, by c. 30%; whereas warming increased loline concentrations 28% but had no effect on ergovaline. Independent of endophyte infection, elevated CO2 reduced concentrations of nitrogen, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. •These results suggest that elevated CO2, more than changes in temperature or precipitation, may promote this grass–fungal symbiosis, leading to higher EIF in tall fescue in old-field communities. However, as all three climate factors are likely to change in the future, predicting the symbiotic response and resulting ecological consequences may be difficult and dependent on the specific atmospheric and climatic conditions encountered.
Interleaved convolutional code and its Viterbi decoder architecture

We propose an area-efficient high-speed interleaved Viterbi decoder architecture, which is based on the state-parallel architecture with register exchange path memory structure, for interleaved convolutional code. The state-parallel architecture uses as many add-compare-select (ACS) units as the number of trellis states. By replacing each delay (or storage) element in state metrics memory (or path metrics memory) and path memory (or survival memory) with I delays, interleaved Viterbi decoder is obtained where I is the interleaving degree. The decoding speed of this decoder architecture is as fast as the operating clock speed. The latency of proposed interleaved Viterbi decoder is "decoding depth (DD) × interleaving degree (I) + extra delays (A)," which increases linearly with the interleaving degree I.
An event‐based approach to validating solar wind speed predictions: High‐speed enhancements in the Wang‐Sheeley‐Arge model

[1] One of the primary goals of the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM) effort is to assess and improve prediction of the solar wind conditions in near-Earth space, arising from both quasi-steady and transient structures. We compare 8 years of L1 in situ observations to predictions of the solar wind speed made by the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) empirical model. The mean-square error (MSE) between the observed and model predictions is used to reach a number of useful conclusions: there is no systematic lag in the WSA predictions, the MSE is found to be highest at solar minimum and lowest during the rise to solar maximum, and the optimal lead time for 1 AU solar wind speed predictions is found to be 3 days. However, MSE is shown to frequently be an inadequate “figure of merit” for assessing solar wind speed predictions. A complementary, event-based analysis technique is developed in which high-speed enhancements (HSEs) are systematically selected and associated from observed and model time series. WSA model is validated using comparisons of the number of hit, missed, and false HSEs, along with the timing and speed magnitude errors between the forecasted and observed events. Morphological differences between the different HSE populations are investigated to aid interpretation of the results and improvements to the model. Finally, by defining discrete events in the time series, model predictions from above and below the ecliptic plane can be used to estimate an uncertainty in the predicted HSE arrival times.
Semisynthesis of phosphovariants of Smad2 reveals a substrate preference of the activated TβRI kinase

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling regulates a wide range of cellular processes. Aberrant TGF-β signaling has been implicated in various disease states in humans. A key element in this signaling pathway is phosphorylation of R-Smads such as Smad2 at the last two serine residues of the C-terminal sequence CSSXS (residues 463−467 in Smad2) by the TβRI receptor kinase. Phosphorylation results in the release of the R-Smad from the membrane-anchored protein SARA, binding to the co-mediator protein Smad4, translocation into the nucleus, and regulation of target gene expression. Expressed protein ligation was used to probe the contribution of the individual phosphate groups to Smad2 oligomerization and phosphorylation by TβRI. Phosphorylation at both positions was required to generate a stable homotrimer; however, the driving force for Smad2 self-association is provided by pSer465. Additionally, SARA was found to modulate the self-association of partially phosphorylated Smad2, which suggests an added...
Application of clinical criteria for ordering radiographs to detect cervical spine fractures

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to determine if spinal-immobilized patients met clinical criteria for x-rays and which clinical criteria were associated with cervical fractures. Methods This was a prospective, observational analysis of clinical findings and radiograph results for patients transported to the emergency department in spinal immobilization by emergency medical services. The presence of altered mentation, distracting injury, cervical spine tenderness, neck pain, neurologic deficit, and palpable deformity was recorded for each subject. Results Of the 2044 subjects enrolled in the study, 1367 subjects received radiographs and 50 had cervical spine fractures. Sixty percent of subjects met some clinical criteria for radiograph ordering. Cervical spine tenderness and neurologic deficit were the only clinical criteria statistically associated with fractures. All subjects with fractures met 1 or more of the clinical criteria for radiographs. Conclusion Cervical spine radiographs were ordered for a significant number of patients who did not meet the clinical criteria. However, omission of any one of the criterion other than palpable deformity would have potentially resulted in a missed fracture. Strictly following the criteria would have significantly reduced the number of cervical spine radiographs taken.
Public Good Producers and Spillovers : An Analysis of Duopoly Behavior

This article presents an analysis of the output and welfare effects of different patterns of behavior when two public good-producing communities interact through benefit spillovers. This analysis differsfrom earlier work in ascribing to these communities (1) more complex assumptions concerning the behavior of neighboring communities and (2) a longer time horizon in the welfare- maximizing decision. We develop two models of independent community behavior and, as a benchmark, a model of the behavior of a consolidated jurisdiction which internalizes the benefit spillovers. Simulations using these models suggest that (1) the importance of welfare losses resulting from strategic behavior relative to those resultingfrom uninternalized spillovers vary directly with the extent of spillovers, indirectly with intercommunity differences; (2) more sophisticated behavior results in short-term welfare gains but losses in equilibrium; and, (3) it is efficient for communities with greater resources or greater degrees of ...
Collision-induced dissociation of fluoropyridinide anions

Abstract Collision-induced dissociation of ortho-fluoro, meta-fluoro, and 2,6-difluoropyridinide anions are studied using the selected ion flow tube technique. Structures and energetics of the reactants, transition states, and products are calculated at the MP4(SDQ)/6-31 + G(d) level of theory based on the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and/or MP2/6-31 + G(d) optimized geometries. The monofluoropyridinide anions (C5NH3F−) dissociate almost exclusively via loss of an HF molecule, i.e., C5NH2− + HF at low collision energies, in addition to loss of F− at higher energies. 2,6-Difluoropyridinide anions (C5NH2F2−) dissociate via successive loss of HF molecules to form C5NHF− then C5N− depending on the collision energy. The CID results strongly suggest formation of ring-intact pyridynide structures (C5NH2−, C5NHF−) with a bent triple bond embedded in the azine ring systems. Calculated reaction energy diagrams are totally consistent with the experimental observations. Didehydropyridynides C5NH2− and C5NHF− have substantial barriers to decomposition. Tetradehydropyridynide C5N− is a highly strained ring system and metastable with a predicted barrier of about 5 kcal mol−1 (20 kJ mol−1) toward ring-opening to a linear NCCCCC− structure. The observed C5N− species is most likely the linear anion under experimental conditions; however, the ring-intact C5N− pyridynide is a highly energetic species releasing about 80 kcal mol−1 (340 kJ mol−1) of energy upon the ring-opening.
Lethality of moist heat and silver dihydrogen citrate sanitizer combinations on Listeria spp. adhered to components of a deli meat slicer

Abstract Deli meat slicers have been implicated in cross-contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods with Listeria monocytogenes that has resulted in several listeriosis outbreaks. We investigated the lethality of moist heat and silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) sanitizer on Listeria species that were inoculated on stainless steel (SS) and cast aluminum (AL) coupons cut from actual components of a deli meat slicer. The coupons inoculated with Listeria species were subjected to treatments inside and outside of meat slicer using a commercial bread proofer that was operated for 7 h at 66 °C. Post treatment recoveries of the inoculated Listeria from the treated coupons were enumerated using MOX growth medium. All treatments produced significant ( P = 0.05) log reductions compared with positive and untreated negative controls. Moist heat reduced the inoculated bacteria to non-detectable levels when the coupons were placed inside the motor compartment of the slicer and the sanitizer plus moist heat gave same results for the coupons placed inside and outside of the slicer. Chemical sanitizer treatment alone showed average log reductions of around 5 CFU/cm 2 on AL and SS coupons respectively and the moist heat alone treatment on both AL and SS coupons showed a log reduction of 4.49 and 4.87 when placed externally and above 6 logs when placed inside the motor compartment. Sanitizer plus moist heat treatments showed highest log reductions of Listeria species to non-detectable levels on deli meat slicer components when placed inside or outside the motor compartment of the slicer. Thus the sanitizer and moist heat combination treatments can effectively reduce the Listeria cells attached onto food contact surfaces of a deli meat slicer.
The psychobiology of maltreatment in childhood

The varied maladaptive behavioral, social, medical, and psychiatric outcomes associated with maltreatment in childhood have been extensively documented in the extant empirical literature. In this review, we examine the adverse impact of the stress associated with child maltreatment on the regulation of the neurobiological stress systems, alterations in brain maturation, and neuropsychological outcomes in the developing child. Further, we provide a detailed discussion of the pathway between the psychobiological consequences of trauma and subsequent cognitive, language, and academic deficits that often have a deleterious impact on global functioning. We review neuroimaging techniques and the empirical results of studies utilizing such techniques to examine brain maturation in maltreated children and individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder. We address the practice, research, and policy implications of the psychobiological sequelae of child maltreatment and offer future directions for research. Child maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect) has long been identified as a significant public health crisis of epidemic proportions and poses a significant risk for psychological difficulties to millions of children annually (American Psychological Association, 2002). In 2003, approximately 3.4 million referrals were made to Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies throughout the United States for suspicions of child abuse and neglect (U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2005). Many of these referrals were not investigated; however, of the two-thirds that were investigated, an estimated 906,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse or
Exploring parafunctional programming: separating the what from the how

A method is presented that takes functional programming one step further by letting the programmer change operational (parafunctional) details without restructuring or rewriting the program. Parafunctional programming is based on the premise that the what (specification) and the how (implementation) are separately identifiable and maintainable system components. Unlike conventional programming methods, parafunctional programming maintains this separation by metalinguistic constructs in the source language and a programming environment that supports structured editing and high-level debugging. >
Why Marine Islands Are Farther Apart in the Tropics

AbstractSpecies diversity of benthic marine organisms is highest in tropical archipelagoes. I hypothesize this is in large part a consequence of the temperature dependence of development times and dispersal distances of planktonic larvae. Metabolic theory predicts and empirical studies confirm that marine larvae develop faster and consequently have shorter durations in the plankton at higher temperatures. Metabolic theory can be extended to predict that species diversity of benthic marine organisms is highest in tropical archipelagoes, because warm temperatures limit dispersal and gene flow and isolated islands provide favorable conditions for speciation and coexistence.
Vertical distributions of canopy foliage and biologically active radiation in a defoliated/refoliated hardwood forest

Abstract Vertical profiles of foliage area and solar irradiance in the ultraviolet-B (UVB, 280–320 nm), photosynthetically active (PAR, 400–700 nm), and total spectral regions were measured simultaneously in a partially refoliated mixed oak forest, previously defoliated by gypsy moth, using canopy analyzers and broadband radiation sensors mounted on an auto-levelling platform of a mobile, up-down lifting tower. Measurements were taken at ten locations in the stand; at nine vertical positions in each location. Temporal variations also were evaluated in a second experiment with the same protocol at a fixed location. Downward cumulative leaf area index was fit to the Weibull cumulative distribution function. Good agreements were found between the data and their Weibull representations, with nonlinear R 2 value averaged at 0.98 for the ten fittings of the spatial samples and greater than 0.99 for the means. Both the scale and shape parameters of the Weibull cumulative distribution function were significantly correlated and decreased with the canopy leaf area index. As an indicator of the internal consistency of the canopy analyzers, the temporal variation of the leaf area measurements at the fixed location was about 10% for solar zenith angle in the range of 30–45°. The irradiance of UVB, PAR and total solar radiation within the canopy were all found to attenuate with downward cumulative leaf area index, and their vertical distribution could be reasonably well described by Beer's law of attenuation. The attenuation rate was greatest for UVB, smallest for total spectral region and intermediate for PAR. Extinction coefficients were 0.86, 0.79 and 0.64 for UVB, PAR and total solar energy, respectively. Ratios of UVB to PAR, UVB to total spectral region and PAR to total spectral region also were shown to decrease with cumulative leaf area index. The use of long-term change in the flux ratio of UVB to PAR to monitor the forest adaptation to, and damage level from, increased exposure to UVB was recommended.
Abstract B207: Darinaparsin is an anti-solid tumor cytotoxin in vivo.

Background: Darinaparsin (DPS; provided by ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.) is a novel organic arsenical with promising anticancer activity and a favorable systemic toxicity profile. Compared to the inorganic arsenical anti-cancer drug, arsenic trioxide (ATO), DPS has higher in vitro potency against solid tumor cells under both normoxic (NO) and hypoxic (HO) conditions. Under HO, an important feature of the solid tumor microenvironment, DPS activity was not dependent on the generation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress. Here we report results of studies of the in vivo anti-tumor effect of DPS in xenograft solid tumor models and patient-derived prostate cancer tumor grafts, as well as mechanistic studies including cDNA microarray and other experiments to study mechanisms of action of DPS. Materials and Methods: To test the in vivo efficacy of DPS, we used mouse models of human prostatic [hormone-independent (HI) LAPC-4] and pancreatic [PANC-1] xenograft tumors implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice. In addition, patient-derived prostate cancer tissues were precision-cut and implanted as tissue slice grafts (TSGs) under the renal capsule in immunodeficient mice. Both tumor models were treated with DPS (100 mg/kg, IP, 3 times/wk × 4 wks), or saline as a control. The TSG tumor growth was assessed by immunohistochemistry (AMACR/p63) staining, and the results were represented as the total tumor area in TSG sections. The effects of DPS on JNK and HIF1 signaling pathways were determined by western blot and RT-qPCR. Using cDNA microarray and subsequent pathway analyses, we studied the effect of DPS and ATO on global gene expression in HI-LAPC-4 cells. Normal and transformed Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEFs) overexpressing the oncogene HRAS and E1A were used to study the effect of DPS on these oncogenes that are important for susceptibility to cell killing. Results: In both HI-LAPC-4 and PANC-1 tumor models, DPS significantly inhibited tumor growth (P Conclusions: DPS had significant cytotoxic activity in vivo in the two tumor models studied (HI-LAPC-4 and PANC-1) in mice at a dose that was well-tolerated. This may be due, in part, to DPS inhibition of mutant and dysregulated oncogenic pathways that are required for survival of tumor, but not normal cells. Since DPS is in early clinical development as a single agent, these findings may have near term translational potential. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B207.
The distribution of PS integrins, laminin A and F-actin during key stages in Drosophila wing development

We first summarize wing development during metamorphosis of Drosophila and identify four critical steps in the conversion of a folded single layered wing disc to a flat bilayered wing. Each step occurs twice, once during the 12 hour prepupal period and again during the 84 hour pupal period. (1) Apposition in which basal surfaces of dorsal and ventral epithelia come close together. (2) Adhesion in which basal junctions form between the apposed basal surfaces. (3) Expansion in which wing area increases as a result of cells flattening. (4) Separation in which dorsal and ventral epithelia are separated by a bulky extracellular matrix but remain connected by slender cytoplasmic processes containing the microtubules and microfilaments of the transalar cytoskeleton. Disc ultrastructure is correlated with the distribution of the beta chain of integrin, laminin A, and filamentous actin for each key stage of pupal development. Integrin and laminin exhibit a mutually exclusive distribution from the adhesion stage onwards. Integrin is present on the basal surface of intervein cells but not on vein cells whereas laminin A is absent from the basal surfaces of intervein cells but is present on vein cells. We conclude that laminin is not a ligand for integrin in this context. During apposition and adhesion stages integrin is broadly distributed over the basal and lateral surfaces of intervein cells but subsequently becomes localized to small basal foci. These foci correspond to basal contact zones between transalar processes. The distribution of filamentous actin is dynamic, changing from an apical distribution during hair morphogenesis to a basal distribution as the transalar cytoskeleton develops. Basal adherens-type junctions are first evident during the adhesion stage and become closely associated with the transalar cytoskeleton during the separation stage. Thus, basal junction formation occurs in two discrete steps; intercellular connections are established first and junction/cytoskeletal connections are formed about 20 hours later. These observations provide a basis for future investigations of integrin mediated adhesion in vivo.
Are brand‐name and generic warfarin interchangeable?

Although Health Canada approved generic warfarins in Year 2000, there is still controversy over the interchangeability of these products with brand-name Coumadin. Since a large population of patients require warfarin and it has a narrow margin of efficacy and safety, it is vital to ensure that generic brands can be safely interchanged with Coumadin. Multiple N-of-1 randomized double blind crossover trials switched outpatients between generic warfarin and Coumadin over a period of thirty weeks. Study patients were on each drug for 5 × 3-week periods with International Normalized Ratio (INR) measurements twice per period. Outcomes included mean INR results and proportion of dosage adjustments that were required with each brand. Inter-patient and intra-patient differences between generic warfarin and Coumadin were compared. Study patient results were also compared with those of a retrospective control group, maintained on Coumadin only. The 6 patients (96% power to detect a difference of greater than 0.5 INR units between warfarin brands) showed no significant difference between warfarin brands in terms of mean INR results (p = 0.485) and proportion of dosage adjustments required with each brand (p = 0.264). Study patients experienced less inter- and intra-subject INR variation than the historical control group, though the difference was not statistically significant. Patients can safely and effectively switch between generic warfarin and Coumadin. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P27–P27; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.103
Competition: Charter and Public Elementary Schools in Chicago

Since the 2002–2003 academic year, the number of students attending and number of charter schools has grown. Yet, unknown are the comparative performance of charter schools as well as any factors, such as the market-based theory of competition, which may contribute to differences. Using geographic information systems and hierarchical linear modeling, this study examined the achievement scores of 13 charter schools and 172 traditional public schools in the Chicago Public Schools System between academic years 2002–2003 and 2004–2005. The results include significantly positive comparative performance from charter schools but fail to find competition as a contributing factor.
‘All policy is local’: punctuated equilibrium theory and the politics of US lead regulation

Substantial changes in US policy regarding lead are explored through a punctuated equilibrium theory-based consideration of scientific advance reflected in environmental policy. Despite the century-long presence of the US’s oldest lead processing plant in Herculaneum, Missouri, the extent of local contamination identified in the early 2000s surprised residents, industrial representatives, and environmental regulators alike. Conditions in Herculaneum revealed disparities between current understandings of health protection from lead exposure and potential hazards associated with local conditions. A substantial disconnection between developments in the scientific understanding of toxic substances and regulation to protect the community appropriately from identified threats inspired a punctuation in the regulatory framework for managing lead contamination. Analysis of policy change in Herculaneum provides the basis to extend punctuated equilibrium theory in environmental policy contexts to incorporate scienti...
Higher aliphatic polyaldehydes. IV. Transitions in poly(n-valeraldehyde), poly(n-hexaldehyde), poly(n-heptaldehyde), and poly(n-octaldehyde)

Crystalline polymers of n-valeraldehyde, n-hexaldehyde, n-heptaldehyde, and n-octaldehyde were prepared by anionic polymerization with lithium tertiary butoxide as the initiator at low temperatures. The polymers were end-capped with acetic anhydride, and their thermal stability was studied primarily by DTG. It was found that all polymers degrade rapidly above 150°C. All polymers show a dual melting-point behavior. The first melting region, which is associated with the melting of the side chain, is 80–85°C for poly(n-valeraldehyde); 87–90°C for poly(n-hexaldehyde); 78–101°C for poly(n-heptaldehyde); and 41–69°C for poly(n-octaldehyde). Annealing and quenching of the samples showed that this melting-point region consisted of several endotherm peaks whose intensity changed according to the thermal history of the sample. Although the samples are apparently highly crystalline, the side-chain crystallinity is apparently only in the 20% range.
An Atomic Force Microscopy and Ellipsometry Study of The Nucleation and Growth Mechanism of Polycrystalline Silicon Films on Silicon Dioxide

A study was performed using a combination of in-situ real time ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to follow the RTCVD process in real time and measure key nucleation parameters in an effort to elucidate the mechanism of Si nucleation on SiO2. Real time ellipsometry data, in terms of delta versus time, showed significant changes as the deposition evolves from critical nuclei through coalescence to continuous film growth thereby allowing. process monitoring and control. From the AFM images, nuclei parameters such as nuclei height, radius, and density were collected and compared across processing temperatures. It was found that kinetic factors control the growth process resulting in a transition temperature (660°C) where the size, shape, and density of the nuclei abruptly changes from small numerous nuclei to large, sparse disk-like nuclei.
High-throughput sequencing reveals extraordinary fluidity of miRNA, piRNA, and siRNA pathways in nematodes

.The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans contains each of the broad classes of eukaryotic small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous small-interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs), and piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). To better understand the evolution of these regulatory RNAs, we deep-sequenced small RNAs from C. elegans and three closely related nematodes: C. briggsae, C. remanei, and C. brenneri. The results reveal a fluid landscape of small RNA pathways with essentially no conservation of individual sequences aside from a subset of miRNAs. We identified 54 miRNA families that are conserved in each of the four species, as well as numerous miRNAs that are species-specific or shared between only two or three species. Despite a lack of conservation of individual piRNAs and siRNAs, many of the features of each pathway are conserved between the different species. We show that the genomic distribution of 26G siRNAs and the tendency for piRNAs to cluster is conserved between C. briggsae and C. elegans. We also show that, in each species, 26G siRNAs trigger stage-specific secondary siRNA formation. piRNAs in each species also trigger secondary siRNA formation from targets containing up to three mismatches. Finally, we show that the production of male- and female-specific piRNAs is conserved in all four species, suggesting distinct roles for piRNAs in male and female germlines. [Supplemental material is available for this article.]
Peripheral chemosensitivity in mutant mice deficient in nitric oxide synthase.

Nitric oxide (NO) is endogenously generated from two constitutively expressed nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms, i.e., neuronal (NOS-1) and endothelial (NOS-3). Both isoforms are localized within the carotid body. Previous studies have shownendogenously generated NO modulates carotid body activity. In the present study, we examined the relative contribution of NO generated by NOS-1 and NOS-3 in respiratory reflexes arising from the carotid body. Experiments were performed on mutant mice deficient in NOS-1 or NOS-3. Wild-type (WT) mice, which contained both isoforms, served as controls. Respiration was monitored in unanesthetized mice by plethysmography. In anaesthetized mice, efferent phrenic nerve activity was monitored as index of breathing. We examined the effects of hypoxia (12% O2) cyanide and brief hyperoxia (Dejour’s test) on respiration. In NOS-1 mutant mice, the ventilatory response to hypoxia (12% O2) were significantly augmented, compared to wild-type (WT) mice. By contrast, NOS-3 mutant mice displayed significantly blunted respiratory responses to hypoxia compared to WT controls. The responses to cyanide were augmented in NOS-1; whereas they were blunted in NOS-3 mutant mice. Respiratory depression in response to brief hyperoxia was more pronounced in NOS-1, while it was nearly absent in NOS-3 mutant mice. These results demonstrate that NO produced by the neuronal and endothelial NOS isoforms have different modulatory roles in carotid body chemosensitivity.
2012 M&SOM Best Paper Award

I is a great pleasure to announce that the 2012 Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Best Paper Award goes to Victor F. Araman and Ioana Popescu for “Media Revenue Management with Audience Uncertainty: Balancing Upfront and Spot Market Sales” (2010). This paper was chosen as most deserving for its contribution to the theory and practice of operations management. For their accomplishment, Professors Araman and Popescu will share a $2,000 prize, generously contributed by the MSOM Society of INFORMS. Each year, the award is given to one paper published in one of the prior three volumes of M&SOM and is judged through a two-stage process. First, M&SOM Editor Steve Graves and a group of M&SOM Associate Editors review nominated papers to select four finalists. Second, an ad hoc committee, organized by the immediate past president of the MSOM Society, selects the best paper from among the finalists. This year, the ad hoc committee that selected the best paper was comprised of Gad Allon, Tava Olsen, and Robert Shumsky. Noah Gans, MSOM’s past president, organized the review process but did not act as a judge. The richness of the paper’s contribution is reflected in the reviewers’ many positive comments. For example, the following comment explains the paper’s motivation and interest:
Granger causality and Atlantic hurricanes

Atlantic tropical cyclones have been getting stronger recently with a trend that is related to an increase in the late summer/early fall sea-surface temperature over the North Atlantic. Some studies attribute the increasing ocean warmth and hurricane intensity to a natural climate fluctuation, known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation; others suggest that climate change related to anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions is the cause. Noting that the only difference between these two hypotheses is the causal connection between global mean near-surface air temperature (GT) and Atlantic sea-surface temperature (SST), the author previously showed how to use statistical tests to examine this hypothesis. Here the author expands on this research. In particular, a more comprehensive explanation of the techniques and additional tests and checks against misspecification are provided. The earlier results are confirmed in showing that preceding GT anomalies have a significant statistical relationship to current SST anomalies but not conversely so that if causality exists between Atlantic SST and global temperature, the causal direction likely goes from GT to SST. The result is robust against a small amount of noise added to the data. Identical tests applied to surrogate time series fail to identify causality as expected. The work underscores the importance of using data models to understand relationships between hurricanes and climate.
Faculty Practice: Creating a New Culture.

This article provides specifics on the development of a clinical track for faculty appointments at the University of Pittsburgh. The criteria to be used for appointment and promotion on the clinical track are discussed along with the practice requirements of 60 hours per term of participation in and responsibility for direct care of patients. The purposes of faculty practice are set forth along with the formation and functioning of a Faculty Practice Council which handles decisions related to faculty practice. Results of the first year after implementation of a clinical track showed that 64 per cent (18) of the faculty had met all of their faculty practice obligations; of the remaining 36 percent (10) who had not, a variety of circumstances were cited. The income to the School of Nursing for faculty practice, although modest, has helped to highlight that practice is valued and an integral part of the faculty role.
The Ins and Outs of Counterfactual Switching

Yet it seems to a number of us that problems connected with quantum statistics and with the interpretation of space-time give powerful reasons to revisit this evaluation of the qualitative way of counting possibilities. The present paper reviews these problems, reviews our understanding of the referential apparatus needed for discussing these issues, clarifies the close similarity and important differences between the two problems, and then sorts through the available ways for dealing with the problems and their implications for Kripke's claim. The result will be a broad comparative survey of these issues which will, along the way, also provide a strong conclusion about the labels used in virtually all presentations of conventional many-particle quantum mechanics: There is nothing remotely label-like about the way these "labels" can be interpreted in the theory.
Reproductive Evolution: Pulling the Plug on Selection.

Summary Hermaphroditism leads to reduced sexual selection and can result in the retention of deleterious mutations. A new study characterizes one such mutation that results in male–male copulation in nematodes, while also implicating a previously undescribed source of chemical signaling.
Efficiency in the National Basketball Association: a stochastic frontier approach with panel data

We investigate how closely NBA teams play up to their potential. We find that shooting, rebounding, stealing the ball and blocking shots raise the number of potential wins while turnovers lower it. We also learn that better coaching and defensive prowess raise a team's win efficiency. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Algorithm for the Discovery of Phenotype Related Metabolic Pathways

Microorganisms are being increasingly used in industrial processes due to certain beneficial phenotypes they exhibit. Improving the ability of microorganisms to exhibit these phenotypes has driven interest in identifying the genes that are responsible for a given phenotype. Some of these phenotypes are the result of various chemical compounds being modified by a series of metabolic reactions, or metabolic pathways, catalyzed by specific enzymes. Recently, comprehensive, generic metabolic networks have been defined, which describe possible ways in which certain chemical compounds may be modified by known metabolic reactions. In this paper, we aim to discover phenotype related metabolic pathways by identifying subnetworks of a generic metabolic network that are highly conserved in phenotype expressing organisms and rarely conserved in non-phenotype expressing organisms. To do this, we introduce a graph search algorithm that finds and expands highly conserved seed networks based on their evolutionary bias towards phenotype expressing organisms. We hypothesize that the evolutionarily conservation of these subnetworks in phenotype expressing organisms is likely due to the fact that they represent metabolic pathways responsible for the expression of the phenotype. We test our approach using aerobic and anaerobic organisms to identify pathways related to aerobic respiration. We find that the pathways identified by our algorithm are found primarily in aerobic organisms and that metabolic pathways known to be related to aerobic respiration are covered by the pathways identified by our algorithm. We finish by discussing the ongoing and future work related to this methodology.
An Examination of Factors Influencing the Thermodynamics of Correlation-Gas Chromatography as Applied to Large Molecules and Chiral Separations

The effects of temperature and flow rate on enthalpies of transfer and the resulting vaporization enthalpies measured by correlation-gas chromatography are examined at the mean temperatures of measurement for a series of alkanes. The study is an effort to understand the parameters affecting the magnitude of the enthalpy of transfer of the analyte from the stationary phase of the column to the gas phase. An endothermic enthalpy of solution or association of the analyte with the stationary phase of the column, ΔslnHm(Tm), is observed which appears quite sensitive to temperature. A considerably less endothermic ΔslnHm(Tm) value is observed with (d)- and (l)-menthol, and this becomes weakly exothermic with (d)- and (l)-limonene on chiral columns containing cyclodextrin and its derivatives. The endothermicity and sensitivity to temperature observed on achiral columns offers an explanation of how it is possible to measure enthalpies of vaporization of large hydrocarbons that exceed the strength of the weakest b...
Nuclear data sheets for A = 53

Nuclear structure data available through April 1977 are compiled, and adopted level properties are given. The bulk of the data is presented pictorially for easy comparison. Experimental details, references, and additional comments, where required, are given in the text. All drawings, tables, and comments are reproduced from the computerized Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF). Any additions or corrections desired by the users should be addressed to the compilers for maintenance and updating of the computer file.
The Argument from Hallucination

In this chapter I want to consider a final argument for the introduction of sense-data, the Argument from Hallucination. I shall begin by discussing a formulation of the argument given by D. M. Armstrong in his book, Perception and the Physical World. Armstrong’s formulation is an instructive one for two reasons. First, it does not confuse hallucinations with other phenomena such as illusions and perceptual relativity, as do some other, looser presentations of the argument.1 Second (and more significantly, from the point of view being developed here), Armstrong is careful to point out that the purpose of the argument is to show that the immediate object of perception is always a sense-datum. Unlike many other writers, Armstrong recognizes that the sense-datum theory need not deny that physical things are perceived, but only that they are immediately perceived. He correctly insists that unless this point is kept clearly in mind, philosophers who accept the sense-datum theory will seem to be defending the absurd view that we never perceive physical objects, while those who reject the theory will seem to be defending the platitude that we do perceive physical objects.
Searching for the Key in the Wrong Place: Why 'Common Sense' Credibility Rules Consistently Harm Refugees

This article examines serious flaws in the asylum process, not just in the United States, but in other developed countries as well. Notwithstanding an affirmative obligation under international treaty to not return a refugee to his country of origin, legislatures in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other receiving nations have, since the terror attacks of 9-11, drafted laws that place an irrationally high burden on the asylum applicant to prove the credibility of his testimony. This primacy of credibility serves as a threshold issue: failing to establish credibility, the claimant has little chance that other evidence will be considered. Despite a widespread belief in the intuitive ability of the ordinary person to judge a witness’s reliability based on the consistency, completeness, and coherency of testimony, numerous psychological investigations have established that memory is, by its nature, plastic, inconsistent and incomplete. Memories are particularly unreliable for victims of trauma. Furthermore, studies conclusively show that people, regardless of special training, cannot distinguish between lies and the truth at a rate not much higher than pure chance would produce. While jurisprudence permits a certain degree of error in truth determination in exchange for expeditious resolution of controversies, the irrationally high standard of proof for refugees’ credibility currently results in an unacceptable rate of wrongful denials, condemning those who fled harm to forced repatriation to their persecutors. And, because credibility determinations are considered findings of fact, they are exempt from appellate review, absent “clear error.” After arguing that an asylum seeker should be compared to an alleged crime victim, rather than an alleged criminal, five solutions are suggested to lessen the hardships currently caused by the primacy of irrational credibility determinations.
Flooding Its Banks: An Argument for Jurisdictional Limits and Certainty in Clean Water Act Regulations

In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers introduced a draft version of a guidance document that purported to clarify the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act in accordance with recent Supreme Court Cases. Shortly thereafter, it became clear that the Draft Guidance was a reinterpretation of Supreme Court precedent, and was meant to expand federal jurisdiction. An even greater problem, mentioned repeatedly in official comments submitted to the agencies, is that the Draft Guidance lacks the force of law, but will be enforced by the agencies. Consequently, a divide has formed between the agencies, courts, and the regulated community, creating great uncertainty for businesses and state governments. This article sets forth the background of the Clean Water Act and relevant Supreme Court decisions, reviews reactions to the Draft Guidance, and proposes a solution to clarify the extent of federal jurisdiction in the future.
Programmed cell death regulation: basic mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities.

The molecular mechanisms responsible for induction or inhibition of apoptosis signal transduction have been intensively investigated during the past few years. Information gained from mechanistic studies and from structural analysis of apoptosis regulatory proteins has provided considerable insight into the pathways that determine whether a cell will live or die. Many of these advances were recently presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference on ‘Programmed Cell Death Regulation: Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities’. This mini-review will discuss the current state of knowledge regarding apoptosis signaling pathways and the function of apoptosis regulatory proteins.
A Study on Challenges and Opportunities in Master Data Management

This paper aims to provide a data definition of one master data for cross application consistency. The concepts related to Master data management in broader spectrum has been discussed. The current challenges companies are facing while implementing the MDM solutions are outlined. We have taken a case study to highlight why Master Data Management is imperative for the enterprises in optimizing their business Also we have identified some of the long term benefits for the enterprises on implementing MDM..
The Treatment of Perceptual Disturbances in Schizophrenia with Naloxone Hydrochloride

The authors treated 12 schizophrenic patients who had overt hallucinatory symptoms with intravenously administered naloxone hydrochloride, a narcotic antagonist purported to have antihallucinatory properties. They found no evidence of the effectiveness of naloxone in preventing hallucinations over that of placebo when administered in a randomized, double-blind fashion.
Hardware/software-in-the-loop analysis of cyberattacks on UASS

Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have taken on a large role in military operations and there is considerable interest in expanding their use to commercial and scientific applications. Because of the dependence of these vehicles on computer systems, their high degree of autonomy, and the danger posed by a loss of vehicle control, it is critical that the proliferation of these vehicles be accompanied by a thorough analysis of their vulnerabilities to cyberattack.