cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defects in mating behavior are the primary cause of sterility in C. elegans males at elevated temperature

Reproduction is a fundamental imperative of all forms of life. For all the advantages sexual reproduction confers, it has a deeply conserved flaw: it is temperature sensitive. As temperatures rise, fertility decreases. Across species male fertility is particularly sensitive to elevated temperature. Previously we have shown in the model nematode worm C. elegans, that all males are fertile at 20{degrees}C but almost all males have lost fertility at 27{degrees}C. Male fertility is dependent on the production functional sperm, successful mating and transfer of sperm, and successful fertilization post-mating. To determine how male fertility is impacted by elevated temperature we analyzed these aspects of male reproduction at 27{degrees}C in three wild-type strains of C. elegans: JU1171, LKC34, and N2. We found no effect of elevated temperature on the number of immature non-motile spermatids formed. There was a weak effect of elevated temperature on sperm activation that may negatively impact sperm function. In stark contrast, there was a strong effect of elevated temperature on male mating behavior and sperm transfer such that males very rarely successfully completed mating when exposed to 27{degrees}C. Therefore, we propose a model where elevated temperature reduces male fertility due to the negative impacts of temperature on the somatic tissues necessary for mating. Loss of successful mating at elevated temperature overrides any effects that temperature may have on the germline or sperm cells.
Machine-learned prediction of annual crop planting in the U.S. Corn Belt based on historical crop planting maps

Abstract An accurate crop planting map can provide essential information for decision support in agriculture. The method of post-season and in-season crop mapping has been widely studied in the land use and land cover community. However, it remains a challenge to predict the spatial distribution of crop planting before the growing season. This paper is the first attempt to use machine learning approach on the prediction of field-level annual crop planting from historical crop planting maps. We present an end-to-end machine learning framework for crop planting prediction using Cropland Data Layer (CDL) time series as reference data and multi-layer artificial neural network as prediction model. The proposed framework was first tested at Lancaster County of Nebraska State, then scaled up to the U.S. Corn Belt. According to the experiment results from 53 Agricultural Statistics Districts, we found the machine-learned crop planting map was expected to reach 88% agreement with the future CDL. Meanwhile, the crop acreage estimates derived from the machine-learned prediction were highly correlated (R2 > 0.9) with the crop acreage estimates of CDL and official statistics by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. This study provides a low-cost and efficient way to predict annual crop planting map, which can be used to support many agricultural applications and decision makings before the beginning of a growing season.
Correlation of neurological level and sweating level of injury in persons with spinal cord injury

Objective: Thermoregulatory dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI) impairs quality of life and predisposes persons to life-threatening sequela of heat-related illness (HRI) in conditions of high ambient temperature. SCI clinicians currently have no objective way to predict which persons are at greatest risk of HRI. Evaporative cooling via sweating is the body's most efficient mechanism of heat dissipation. The relationship between the neurological level of injury (NLOI) and the degree of sudomotor dysfunction is not well defined. This study examines the relationship between the NLOI and sweating level of injury (SwLOI). This information can assist SCI clinicians in identifying individuals with SCI who have most impaired sudomotor function and thus highest risk of HRI.Design: Observational.Setting: Human physiology laboratory.Participants: 10 persons with tetraplegia (TP), 14 with paraplegia (PP) and 10 able-bodied (AB).Intervention: Passive heat stress (1°C rise in core temperature) with sweat responses (SR) quantified with the starch iodine test.Outcome measures: The most caudal dermatomal level in which sweating was visualized was recorded as the SwLOI, which was compared to the NLOI. Minimum, maximum and median differences between NLOI and SwLOI were calculated.Results: Persons with tetraplegia demonstrated no SR. Persons with paraplegia demonstrated SR at a median of 1 level below NLOI. Able-bodied controls demonstrated sweating on all skin surface areas.Conclusions: Persons with motor complete tetraplegia lack evaporative cooling capacity through SR during passive heat stress predisposing them to HRI. Meanwhile, persons with paraplegia sweat on average 1 dermatomal level below their NLOI.
Desymmetrization of difluoromethylene groups by C–F bond activation

Tertiary stereogenic centres containing one fluorine atom are valuable for medicinal chemistry because they mimic common tertiary stereogenic centres containing one hydrogen atom, but they possess distinct charge distribution, lipophilicity, conformation and metabolic stability1-3. Although tertiary stereogenic centres containing one hydrogen atom are often set by enantioselective desymmetrization reactions at one of the two carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds of a methylene group, tertiary stereocentres containing fluorine have not yet been constructed by the analogous desymmetrization reaction at one of the two carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds of a difluoromethylene group3. Fluorine atoms are similar in size to hydrogen atoms but have distinct electronic properties, causing C-F bonds to be exceptionally strong and geminal C-F bonds to strengthen one another4. Thus, exhaustive defluorination typically dominates over the selective replacement of a single C-F bond, hindering the development of the enantioselective substitution of one fluorine atom to form a stereogenic centre5,6. Here we report the catalytic, enantioselective activation of a single C-F bond in an allylic difluoromethylene group to provide a broad range of products containing a monofluorinated tertiary stereogenic centre. By combining a tailored chiral iridium phosphoramidite catalyst, which controls regioselectivity, chemoselectivity and enantioselectivity, with a fluorophilic activator, which assists the oxidative addition of the C-F bond, these reactions occur in high yield and selectivity. The design principles proposed in this work extend to palladium-catalysed benzylic substitution, demonstrating the generality of the approach.
The Multilingual Anglophone: World Literature and Post-Millennial Literature in Postcolonial India

This essay proposes a comparative approach for engaging with Anglophone world literature by focusing on post-millennial literatures of India. The reason for focusing on India is threefold. First, I...
Defending National Loyalty: Yoram Hazony on Nationalism

Nationalism according to Hazony is the view that the world ought to consist of independent nation states, each constituted at bottom by the loyalty granted to it by its individual constituents in r...
Trump’s Intervention in the Golsteyn Case: Judicial Independence, Military Justice or Both?

Is the prudence of a president’s involvement in an ongoing military prosecution a question of judicial independence, as such interjections are usually framed, or is it is instead a question of civil-military relations as an issue of military justice?
MRI Reveals Connectivity of Cortical Lesions to White Matter Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis. (P6.107)

Background: The relationship between cortical (CLs) and white matter lesions (WMLs) in MS is poorly understood, Pathological studies support a topographical association between CLs and underlying subcortical WMLs, and suggest CLs may play a role in both disease initiation and progression. Objective: We hypothesized that CLs may determine the location of WMLs via pathways originating from CLs, We assessed this connectivity by MRI combining double inversion recovery (DIR) with diffusion tensor imaging. Methods: Relapsing-remitting MS patients and controls were scanned at 3 Tesla. Two raters identified CLs on DIR according to current consensus criteria. WMLs and CLs were used as individual seeds for tractography. Connectivity between WML and CLs was characterized in each patient. By using WMLs as seeding points, cortical area maps were created, designating “connected” and “non-connected” cortical areas. In controls, WML seeds were derived from matched MS patients. Using automated cluster analysis we identified non-specific cortical DIR-hyperintensities in all subjects, creating a comparator dataset to the rater selected CLs. The fraction of CLs in connected and non-connected cortex was compared between groups. Results: 28 MS patients and 25 controls (mean age 35.9 and 38.9) were included. On average 50[percnt] of CLs per MS patient were connected to WMLs for either rater and 79[percnt] of WMLs were connected to at least one other WML. Significantly elevated ratios of CLs (connected vs. non-connected cortex) were found (median 2.3 [IQR 1.4-5.0] and 2.7 [IQR 1.8-3.3]), compared to nonspecific cortical areas in MS (median 1.2 [IQR 0.9-1.3]; p<0.001) and controls (median 1.0 [IQR 0.8-1.2]; p<0.001). Conclusion: CLs on DIR are approximately 2.5 times as likely to be found in cortex that is connected to WMLs, providing evidence that CLs and WMLs are topographically related. There is also significant connectivity between WMLs. These findings are consistent with our hypothesis of CL-WML connectivity. Disclosure: Dr. Tillema has nothing to disclose. Dr. Weigand has nothing to disclose. Dr. Port has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mandrekar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lucchinetti stands to receive royalty payments for commercial assays to detect aquaporin 4-specific autoantibody. Dr. Pirko has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine. Dr. Pirko has received research support from Novartis.
Desarrollo del Mercado de Bonos sub-nacionales en México:Primera aproximación a los factores que inciden en el riesgo implícito de losCertificados Bursátiles (Sub-national Bond Market Development in Mexico: First Approach to the Factors Affecting the Risk Premium of Stock Exchange Certificates)

Existe un creciente interes entre varias economias emergentes por promover la emision de bonos sub-nacionales, pues consideran que tales instrumentos pueden ser una alternativa viable para aumentar el margen de maniobra financiera de los emisores, y una herramienta util para acelerar el crecimiento economico. Hay que tener presente, sin embargo, los retos que pueden surgir cuando los gobiernos regionales y locales utilizan bonos de deuda para financiar sus actividades. El presente documento de trabajo pretende iniciar una reflexion sobre los factores que inciden en la definicion de una variable clave que los inversionistas consideran al analizar el riesgo implicito de una emision: la dispersion relativa en el rendimiento de un bono. El analisis que se presenta a continuacion compara una muestra de Certificados Bursatiles (Cebures) emitidos por gobiernos estatales mexicanos con una muestra de bonos emitidos por gobiernos locales en Estados Unidos. Los resultados muestran que, en el caso Mexicano, las variables que afectan la variable dependiente estan relacionadas con la estructura del bono emitido y no en factores que reflejen la condicion financiera del emisor. La efectividad de las medidas de politica publica que pudiesen implementar los emisores seran poco efectivas en cuanto a modificar las percepciones del riesgo del mercado. A growing number of emerging economies are interested in developing their sub-national bond markets, as they consider bond financing as an adequate tool to increase their financial maneuverability and potentiate opportunities for economic growth. This article seeks to trigger a reflection on the factors that emerging nations like Mexico would need to take into account if the aim is to issue bond instruments that are attractive to investors, and whether or not such factors can be manipulated with public policies. This article contributes to ongoing debates on subnational bond market development by assessing the factors affecting the yield spread in a sample of Mexican bonds known as Cebures. The results show that such yield spreads are only affected by variables associated with the structure of the bond, and not on factors reflecting the financial strength of the issuing entity (as it occurs in the U.S. municipal bond market). What this entails is that government policies aimed at modifying the implicit risk of this type of bonds may not be sufficient to alter bond buyer’s risk perceptions.
Some Things We Should Forget.

The way we work with students and plan curricula is driven by what we know and remember. But sometimes it's important to forget—especially when it comes to the fundamental challenge of ensuring students are prepared for the workplace of the future. Here's what we need to let go of to meet that challenge and create dynamic, seamless learning experiences for students.
Calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase from Neurospora crassa. Molecular cloning and expression of recombinant catalytic subunit.

Abstract A cDNA for the catalytic subunit of a calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein phosphatase was cloned from Neurospora crassa. The open reading frame of 1557 base pairs encoded a protein of Mr approximately 59,580 and was followed by a 3'-untranslated region of 363 base pairs including the poly(A) tail. Based on primer extension analysis, the mRNA transcript in vivo was 2403 base pairs. Expression of this CaM-protein phosphatase mRNA was developmentally regulated, being highest during early mycelial growth; production of the corresponding protein followed mRNA with a time lag of 8-12 h. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of genomic DNA revealed three small introns, the positions of which coincided with those in the mouse gene, indicating evolutionary conservation of these structures. The deduced sequence showed approximately 75% identity with the mammalian homologue, calcineurin, in aligned regions. A region of 40 amino acids preceding the CaM-binding domain was essentially unchanged, suggesting conservation of a crucial interaction site. Three small segments in the carboxyl half of the protein were unrelated to the mammalian gene and may constitute "variable regions" that confer substrate specificity to the enzyme. An active recombinant catalytic subunit was expressed in bacteria and purified by CaM-Sepharose chromatography. This preparation was stimulated 2- 3-fold by CaM and showed a p-nitrophenol phosphatase activity equal to that of the bovine brain holoenzyme, although its dephosphorylation of phosphoprotein substrates was markedly different. These findings demonstrate that the catalytic subunit of this phosphatase can exhibit high activity in the absence of its intrinsic Ca(2+)-binding subunit.
Family intervention: the right of all children.

It may be presumptuous to point out to pediatricians new ways of insuring that children have improved health care and the benefits of preventive pediatrics from early infancy. As a group, we have done a great deal in moving academic departments towards expanding the role of ambulatory services and making the ambulatory setting a place where exciting educational developments take place. We have also made a real contribution in bringing the needs of preventive pediatrics to the attention of various levels of government as well as incorporating outpatient departments as important sites for the teaching of medical students, house staff, and a wide variety of health professionals.
Inferences from Combined Knowledge about Topology and Directions

Separate mechanisms exist for the compositions of binary topological relations and binary direction relations. They are appropriate for homogeneous spatial reasoning, i.e., the inference of new topological relations from a set of topological relations, or the derivation of new direction relations from a set of direction relations; however, these composition mechanisms are insufficient for heterogeneous spatial reasoning, such as the inference of spatial relations from the combination of topological relations and cardinal directions. This paper discusses the shortcomings of current inference methods for heterogeneous spatial reasoning and presents a new method for heterogeneous directiontopology reasoning. The results demonstrate that using a canonical model, in particular Allen's interval relations, leads to a powerful heterogeneous reasoning mechanism. The spatial objects are approximated by their minimum bounding rectangles and the topological and direction relations are mapped onto interval relations. Compositions are performed using the composition table for interval relations. The results of the compositions are then reverse mapped onto directions. This process enables complex three-step inferences over topological and direction relations such as A West of B, B overlap C, and C West of D imply A West of D.
High diversity of fungi recovered from the roots of mature tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) in northern California

We collected mature tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. & Arn.) Rehder) roots from five stands to characterize the relative abundance and taxonomic richness of root-associated fungi. Fungi were ...
Linking Accelerated Laboratory Test with Outdoor Performance Results for a Model Epoxy Coating System

Laboratory and outdoor exposure results have been mathematically linked for a model epoxy coating system using a reliability-based methodology. Accurate and timebased measurements on both exposure environments and degradation properties for epoxy specimens exposed to accelerated laboratory weathering device and outdoor environments were performed. Laboratory weathering tests were conducted on the NIST SPHERE (Simulated Photodegradation via High Energy Radiant Exposure), a device in which spectral ultraviolet (UV) wavelength, spectral intensity, temperature, and relative humidity (RH) can be precisely and accurately controlled over time. A factorial design consisting of 4 temperatures, 4 RH levels, 4 UV spectral wavelengths, and 4 UV spectral intensities was used in exposing the epoxy samples on the SPHERE to assess the effects of critical environmental factors on chemical degradation of this material. Outdoor exposure experiments were carried out on the roof of a NIST laboratory located in Gaithersburg, MD. Panel temperature and ambient RH of the outdoor exposure and the solar spectrum were used to characterize the roof environment at 12 minute intervals. The chemical degradation for specimens exposed on the SPHERE and in the outdoor environments was quantified by transmission FTIR and UV-visible spectroscopies. Tests using FTIR absorbance ratios showed that the mechanisms of chemical degradation for samples exposed outdoors and in the laboratory were similar. Two approaches, a modelfree heuristic approach and a mathematical predictive model, were used in linking field and laboratory exposure results. Successful linkages have been made using both approaches. The study strongly demonstrated that the reliability-based methodology is capable of linking laboratory and field exposure data and predicting the service life of this type of polymeric material.
Improving wrist force/torque sensor measurements through a data fusion technique

The authors present a real-time estimation scheme for improving wrist force/torque sensor measurements through a data fusion technique. The currents of joint servomotors are measured as a redundant data source for data fusion. The computational results of the model-based control method are used to reduce the extra amount of computation required for estimation. Robot joints are fully instrumented to obtain necessary dynamic information about robot motion. Simulation results reveal that the performance of the estimation scheme depends on the sampling period of the robot controller and the a priori knowledge of the measurement noise processes. >
Clientelism and guanxi: Southern European and Chinese public relations in comparative perspective

This paper compares and analyzes the practice of public relations between Southern European countries (Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain) and China. The author argues Western countries are not a monolithic entity and there are a number of similarities, mainly focused on the importance of personal relationships, that shape the public relations field in Europe and Asia. A review of the concepts of guanxi and clientelism, both based on the asymmetrical character of relationships based on the abdication by the client of any potential autonomous access to the use of resources and to the setting up of public goods and services, revealed the importance of personal relationships and the emphasis of government relationships at the expense of other publics. Despite the consideration of the Anglo-Saxon symmetrical public relations model as a normative ideal among professionals, persuasive models are prevalent in the public relations practice in these societies.
Septal Tryptophan-5-Hydroxylase: Divergent Response to Raphe Lesions and Parachlorophenylalanine

A soluble form of tryptophan-5-hydroxylase activity was found to be present in areas rich in serotonergic terminals (colliculi, hippocampus, septal area, and remaining telencephalon) as well as in brainstem, an area rich in cell bodies. The enzymatic activity in all brain regions, except the septal area, was inhibited to varying degrees following administration of parachlorophenylalanine. Destruction of the raphe nuclei in the midbrain led to a large and comparable decrease in both serotonin content and tryptophan hydroxylase activity of the hippocampus. In contrast, these lesions did not significantly affect the enzymatic activity of the septal area although the serotonin content was decreased by 72 percent. These findings suggest that the major portion of the tryptophan hydroxylase activity of the septal area is uniquely different from that found in other telencephalic areas in that it is not localized in serotonergic nerve terminals nor is it inhibited by parachlorophenylalanine.
Mechanisms of Renin Secretion during Hemorrhage in the Dog

Abstract The importance of renal perfusion pressure (RPP), the sympathetic beta adrenergic nervous system and renal prostaglandins (PG) on renin release during a uniform 15-17% reduction in blood pressure by hemorrhage (HH) was studied systematically in anesthetized dogs. All groups of animals had similar decrements in systemic and renal hemodynamics with HH. In control dogs (n = 7), both plasma renin activity (PRA, 4.1-9.0 ng angiotensin I/ml per h, P < 0.05) and renin secretory rate (RSR, 26-228 ng/ml per h·min, P < 0.005) increased significantly with HH. This increase in renin release during HH was not abolished by any single maneuver alone including beta adrenergic blockade with d,l-propranolol (n = 6), renal PG inhibition with indomethacin (n = 7), or control of RPP (n = 6). However, when beta adrenergic blockade was combined with control of RPP (n = 7) during HH, neither PRA (1.9-2.7 ng/ml per h, NS) nor RSR (16-53 ng/ml per h·min, NS) increased significantly. Similarly, a combination of beta adrenergic blockade and PG inhibition (n = 6) also abolished the increase in PRA (1.5-1.4 ng/ml per h, NS) and RSR (14-55 ng/ml per h·min, NS) during HH despite significant decreases in sodium excretion. Finally, a combination of PG inhibition and RPP control was associated with significant increases in PRA and RSR during HH. These results support a multifactorial mechanism in renin release during HH and implicate both the beta adrenergic receptors, renal baroreceptors, and possibly the macula densa as constituting the primary pathways of renin release during HH of this magnitude. Because either constant RPP or PG inhibition blunted renin release during HH in the setting of beta adrenergic blockade, the present results strongly suggest that the renal baroreceptor, and probably the macula densa mechanism are PG mediated.
Evaluation of cortical current density imaging methods using intracranial electrocorticograms and functional MRI.

Abstract Objective: EEG source imaging provides important information regarding the underlying neural activity from noninvasive electrophysiological measurements. The aim of the present study was to evaluate source reconstruction techniques by means of the intracranial electrocorticograms (ECoGs) and functional MRI. Methods: Five source imaging algorithms, including the minimum norm least square (MNLS), LORETA with L p -norm ( p equal to 1, 1.5 and 2), sLORETA, the minimum L p -norm ( p equal to 1 and 1.5; when p = 2, the MNLS method is mathematically equivalent to the minimum L p -norm) and L 1 -norm (the linear programming) methods, were evaluated in a group of 10 human subjects, in a paradigm with somatosensory stimulation. Cortical current density (CCD) distributions were estimated from the scalp somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs), at approximately 30 ms following electrical stimulation of median nerve at the wrist. Realistic geometry boundary element head models were constructed from the MRIs of each subject and used in the CCD analysis. Functional MRI results obtained from a motor task and sensory stimulation in all subjects were used to identify the central sulcus, motor and sensory areas. In three patients undergoing neurosurgical evaluation, ECoGs were recorded in response to the somatosensory stimulation, and were used to help determine the central sulcus and the sensory cortex. Results: The CCD distributions estimated by the L p -norm and LORETA- L p methods were smoother when the p values were high. The LORETA based on the L 1 -norm performed better than the LORETA- L 2 method for imaging well localized sources such as the P30 component of the SEP. The mean and standard deviation of the distance between the location of maximum CCD value and the central sulcus, estimated by the minimum L p -norm (with p equal to 1), L 1 -norm (the Linear programming) and LORETA- L p (with p equal to 1) methods, were 4, 7, 7 mm and 3, 4, 2 mm, respectively (after converting into Talairach coordinates). The mean and standard deviation of the aforementioned distance, estimated by the MNLS, LORETA with L p -norm ( p equal to 1.5 and 2.0), sLORETA and the minimum L p -norm ( p equal to 1.5) methods, were over 11 mm and 6 mm, respectively. Conclusions: The present experimental study suggests that L 1 -norm-based algorithms provide better performance than L 2 and L 1.5 -norm-based algorithms, in the context of CCD imaging of well localized sources induced by somatosensory electrical stimulation of median nerve at the wrist.
Urban hospital cesarean section delivery rates in Paraíba State, Brazil, 1977-81

Paraiba State, Brazil is one of the poorest areas in that country; many of the hospitals are not high quality and medical training is not comparable to that of developed countries. Nevertheless, the rate of cesarean section delivery in urban hospitals has risen from 19.0 per cent in 1977 to 28.5 in 1981. Despite the larger volume of obstetric services in government hospitals, these hospitals had lower cesarean section rates than private hospitals, both profit and non-profit.
Elimination of butylcycloheptylprodigiosin as a known natural product inspired by an evolutionary hypothesis for cyclic prodigiosin biosynthesis

The cyclic prodigiosins are an important family of bioactive natural products that continue to be the subject of numerous structural, synthetic, and biosynthetic studies. In particular, the structural assignments of the isomeric cyclic prodigiosins butylcycloheptylprodigiosin (BCHP) and streptorubin B have been the cause of significant confusion. Herein, we report detailed studies regarding the electron impact (EI) mass spectra of synthetic BCHP and streptorubin B that have allowed us to distinguish the two compounds in the absence of quality historical isolation NMR data. On the basis of these fragmentation differences, the status of BCHP as a natural product is challenged. The proposed mechanism of fragmentation is supported by the EI mass spectra of synthetic pentyl-chain analogues of BCHP and streptorubin B, X-ray crystallography, and DFT calculations. Elimination of BCHP from the prodigiosin family supports a proposed evolutionary hypothesis for the surprising biosynthesis of cyclic prodigiosins.
Finite generation of Hochschild homology algebras

We prove converses of the Hochschild-Kostant-Rosenberg Theorem, in particular: If a commutative algebra S is flat and essentially of finite type over a noetherian ring \(\mathbb{k}\), and the Hochschild homology HH*(S|\(\mathbb{k}\)) is a finitely generated S-algebra for shuffle products, then S is smooth over \(\mathbb{k}\).
Mesangial cell complement receptor 1-related protein y limits complement-dependent neutrophil accumulation in immune complex glomerulonephritis

The absence of complement receptor 1 (CR1) related gene/protein y (Crry) leads to embryonic lethality as a result of unrestricted complement activation and concomitant neutrophil infiltration. Here we used Crry(-/-)C3(+/-) mice to investigate the role of Crry in the pathogenesis of immune complex glomerulonephritis (GN). After 3 weeks of immunization with horse spleen apoferritin, six of nine Crry(-/-) C3(+/-) mice and none of the six control C3(+/-) mice developed proliferative GN (P = 0.010). After 5 weeks of immunization, GN scores in Crry(-/-) C3(+/-) mice were 0.67 +/- 0.22 mean +/- standard error of the mean (SEM), compared with 0.32 +/- 0.16 in C3(+/-) mice. Glomerular hypercellularity was attributable to neutrophil infiltration in mice with GN (1.7 +/- 0.3/glomerulus) compared with those without GN (0.4 +/- 0.1/glomerulus) (P = 0.001). Absent staining for alpha-smooth muscle actin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen suggested that mesangial cell proliferation did not play a significant role in this model. Serum C3 levels in Crry(-/-) C3(+/-) mice were approximately 20% and 30% those of wild-type mice and C3(+/-) mice, respectively. To determine whether this acquired hypocomplementaemia was relevant to this GN model system, Crry(-/-) C3(+/-) mouse kidneys were transplanted into wild-type mice followed by immunization with apoferritin for 1 or 2 weeks. Surprisingly, none of the Crry(-/-) C3(+/-) mouse kidneys developed GN at these early time-points, indicating that increasing circulating C3 levels several-fold did not increase susceptibility to GN. Renal expression of decay-accelerating factor was not different among any of the groups studied. Thus, our data indicate that mesangial cell Crry limits complement activation and subsequent neutrophil recruitment in the setting of local immune complex deposition.
Hydrothermal liquefaction of isolated cuticle of Agave americana and Capsicum annuum: Chemical characterization of petroleum-like products

Abstract Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of cuticular materials from Agave americana and Capsicum annuum was performed for extended periods of time (72 h) at 360 °C meant to simulate long-term maturation of the organic matter. Both cuticular materials displayed evidence for possible oil production from the amounts of polymethylenic carbons in 13 C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The bio-oil yields were approximately 35 wt.% and exhibited heating values of 40.5 MJ kg −1 , comparable to those of typical crude petroleum. Analysis by two dimensional gas chromatography indicated that the A . americana bio-oil was dominated by a homologous series of n -alkanes, whereas cyclic and aromatic compounds were the major compounds identified in the C . annumm bio-oil. Further analysis using electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry revealed the bio-oil samples were predominantly lipid-like in character. The result of this study demonstrate that one can utilize highly aliphatic biopolymeric components of certain plant materials to produce bio-oils that have the potential to be utilized as alternative fuels.
Application and experimental evaluation of state space reduction methods for deadlock analysis in Ada

An emerging challenge for software engineering is the development of the methods and tools to aid design and analysis of concurrent and distributed software. Over the past few years, a number of analysis methods that focus on Ada tasking have been developed. Many of these methods are based on some form of reachability analysis, which has the advantage of being conceptually simple, but the disadvantage of being computationally expensive. We explore the effectiveness of various Petri net-based techniques for the automated deadlock analysis of Ada programs. Our experiments consider a variety of state space reduction methods both individually and in various combinations. The experiments are applied to a number of classical concurrent programs as well as a set of “real-world” programs. The results indicate that Petri net reduction and reduced state space generation are mutually beneficial techniques, and that combined approaches based on Petri net models are quite effective, compared to alternative analysis approaches.
Development and Evaluation of a Consortium to Support a School-based Community Nutrition Education Program in the Rural Arkansas Delta

Abstract The purpose of this study was to document the development of a consortium to lead a school-based nutrition program and to evaluate consortium effectiveness in guiding and implementing program activities and consortium sustainability. The overall program objective was to provide nutrition education to elementary school children in a low-income rural community and to provide reinforcing messages to parents via the school; the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; the Food Stamp program; and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. A new consortium of representatives from these agencies and the community was developed. Memoranda of agreement were developed between the primary organizations involved. Operation and sustainability of the consortium were evaluated by types of members, participation of members, group activities, interviews with key staff, and member satisfaction. Project activities were implemented essentially as planned, the consortium operated effectively, and members were satisfied with the consortium and project, but sustainability of the consortium as it existed during the project is questionable. A major barrier to sustainability of the consortium was members who were already overcommitted due to interest in community initiatives. Leadership of the collaborative would be better fostered if duties within agencies involved were redistributed to include consortium involvement. Consortium members must feel that their efforts are valued by the community and employers.
1-Lithio-1-benzenesulfinyl-2-trimethylsilylethane as a 2-trimethylsilylvinyl anion equivalent in reactions with aldehydes, ketones and epoxides

Abstract Aldehydes, ketones and epoxides give adducts with 1-lithio-1-benzenesulfinyl-2-trimethylsilylethane which upon neutralization eliminate benzenesulfenic acid efficiently at 76°C to yield trans -3-(trimethylsilyl)allyl alcohols and trans -4-(trimethylsilyl)-3-alken-1-ols.
Comparing mixing performance of uniaxial and biaxial bin blenders

Abstract The dynamics involved in powder mixing remains a topic of interest for many researchers; however the theory still remains underdeveloped. Most of the mixers are still designed and scaled up on empirical basis. In many industries, including pharmaceutical, the majority of blending is performed using “tumbling mixers”. Tumbling mixers are hollow containers which are partially loaded with materials and rotated for some number of revolutions. Some common examples include horizontal drum mixers, v-blenders, double cone blenders and bin blenders. In all these mixers while homogenization in the direction of rotation is fast, mediated by a convective mixing process, mixing in the horizontal (axial) direction, driven by a dispersive process, is often much slower. In this paper, we experimentally investigate a new tumbling mixer that rotates with respect to two axes: a horizontal axis (tumbling motion), and a central symmetry axis (spinning motion). A detailed study is conducted on mixing performance of powders and the effect of critical fundamental parameters including blender geometry, speed, fill level, presence of baffles, loading pattern, and axis of rotation. In this work Acetaminophen is used as the active pharmaceutical ingredient and the formulation contains commonly used excipients such as Avicel and Lactose. The mixing efficiency is characterized by extracting samples after pre-determined number of revolutions, and analyzing them using Near Infrared Spectroscopy to determine compositional distribution. Results show the importance of process variables including the axis of rotation on homogeneity of powder blends.
An asymptotic likelihood ratio test for a markov chain with bernoullian or contingent input

A Markov chain with transition probabilitiesp ij (θ) that are functions of a parameter vector θ is defined. One oft input values is delivered to the chain on each trial. Under the hypothesis H0 the parameter vector is independent of the input; under the hypothesis H1 the vector is in general different for each different input. A likelihood ratio test for a single observation on a chain of great length is given for testing H0 against H1, given that the distribution of the inputs depends at most on the previous input and the present state of the chain. The test is therefore one of stationarity of the transition probabilities against a specific alternative form of nonstationarity. Application of the approach to a statistical test of lumpability of the states of a chain is indicated. Tests for other related hypotheses are suggested. Application of the test to “within-subject effects” for individual subjects is considered. Finally, some applications of the results in psychophysical contexts are suggested.
Longitudinal and lateral variations in the aluminum concentration of selected caprine, bovine, and human bone samples.

Longitudinal and lateral variations in Al concentration in several large animal (bovine and caprine) long bones (tibia and femur) and several human clavicle bones were examined using a sensitive analytical method based on electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction. Bone segments were carefully removed using special tools free of significant Al contamination, freeze-dried, and digested overnight at room temperature in concentrated HNO3. Bone digestates were analyzed for Al using simple aqueous calibration standards with a Ca(NO3)2 modifier. Mean bone Al concentrations were relatively low (<1 Μg/g, dry weight) in bovine and caprine long bones compared to literature values for human bone samples. Longitudinal variations of Al in the animal bones examined appeared relatively uniform compared to the human clavicle bones, where, in three of five cases, Al appeared enriched at the epiphyses (joints). The Al “enrichment” was symmetrical with respect to both left and right clavicle bones. Aluminum concentrations at the mid-shaft of the clavicle bone show less variation compared to whole bone studies, but considerable scatter is evident along the bone length. The mean bone aluminum concentration in the five human subjects varied from 1 to 6 Μ/g dry weight.
R68-28 A Microprogrammed Implementation of EULER on IBM System/360 Model 30

The advent of microprogramming is likely to cause a major change in the way we use computers. The reason is that it provides a nearly complete decoupling between the efforts of computer design engineers and programmers. When the engineers provide a microcode that can be changed under program control, they will be able to pass on to the programmer a major portion of the design of the machine instruction set. The question is what the programmers will do with it when they get it.
Organization — Evolution or Revolution

So often the human part of human organization is the dominant one. The immediate desire to "get things done" frequently obliterates the value of spending time in preliminary planning, of planning how to get the job done in the best way.
High-throughput functional testing of ENCODE segmentation predictions

The histone modification state of genomic regions is hypothesized to reflect the regulatory activity of the underlying genomic DNA. Based on this hypothesis, the ENCODE Project Consortium measured the status of multiple histone modifications across the genome in several cell types and used these data to segment the genome into regions with different predicted regulatory activities. We measured the cis-regulatory activity of more than 2000 of these predictions in the K562 leukemia cell line. We tested genomic segments predicted to be Enhancers, Weak Enhancers, or Repressed elements in K562 cells, along with other sequences predicted to be Enhancers specific to the H1 human embryonic stem cell line (H1-hESC). Both Enhancer and Weak Enhancer sequences in K562 cells were more active than negative controls, although surprisingly, Weak Enhancer segmentations drove expression higher than did Enhancer segmentations. Lower levels of the covalent histone modifications H3K36me3 and H3K27ac, thought to mark active enhancers and transcribed gene bodies, associate with higher expression and partly explain the higher activity of Weak Enhancers over Enhancer predictions. While DNase I hypersensitivity (HS) is a good predictor of active sequences in our assay, transcription factor (TF) binding models need to be included in order to accurately identify highly expressed sequences. Overall, our results show that a significant fraction (-26%) of the ENCODE enhancer predictions have regulatory activity, suggesting that histone modification states can reflect the cis-regulatory activity of sequences in the genome, but that specific sequence preferences, such as TF-binding sites, are the causal determinants of cis-regulatory activity.
Myocardial infarction risk and tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer.

Tamoxifen prevents recurrence after breast cancer and breast cancer among high-risk women, and may prevent myocardial infarction (MI). To assess the impact of tamoxifen on MI risk, we conducted a case–control study of first MI after breast cancer nested among women diagnosed with breast cancer, while enrolled in a health maintenance organisation from 1980 to 2000. We obtained information on breast cancer treatment and MI risk factors through medical record reviews and interviews. Data were analysed using conditional logistic regression. Of 11 045 women with breast cancer, 134 met MI criteria and were matched to two MI-free control subjects on year of birth and breast cancer diagnosis. After adjusting for smoking, hypertension and diabetes, tamoxifen was unassociated with MI (odds ratio (OR)=1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.7–1.9). Duration, cumulative dose and recency of use were not associated with MI. Radiation therapy was associated with MI (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.1–3.5), an association that varied slightly but not statistically significantly by tamoxifen use (radiation with tamoxifen, OR=2.0, 95% CI=0.9–4.4; radiation without tamoxifen, OR=2.9, 95% CI=1.2–7.5). Tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer does not appear to increase or decrease MI risk, although radiation therapy appears to increase MI risk.
Synthesis and Structure–activity relationships of 1-arylmethyl-3-(1-methyl-2-amino)ethyl-5-aryl-6-methyluracils as antagonists of the human GnRH Receptor

Abstract A new class of small molecule GnRH antagonists, the 1-arylmethyl-3-(1-methyl-2-amino)ethyl-5-aryl-6-methyluracils, was designed and a novel stereoselective synthesis for these compounds was developed. The stereochemical integrities of key intermediates (S)-6 and (R)-6 were confirmed by a combination of X-ray crystallography and chiral HPLC determinations. SAR studies were performed, which allowed the identification of derivatives (R)-9f, (R)-9h and (R)-12 as potent hGnRH antagonists (Ki=20 nM).
Evaluation of the levels of oral Candida in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of oral Candida in patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Methods. The Candida count and salivary flow rate of patients with Sjogren's syndrome were compared with those of healthy control subjects. Candida cultures were obtained from oral rinses. The numbers of colony-forming units were determined through use of the Spiral System. Results. The mean Candida count of patients with Sjogren's syndrome was 1672 ± 1455 colony-forming units per mL; the count of healthy control subjects was 0.00 colony-forming units per mL. The mean salivary flow rate of patients with Sjogren's syndrome was significantly lower than that of healthy control subjects (0.16 ± 0.13 mL/min/gland vs 0.55 ± 0.24 mL/min/gland, respectively; p = 0.0001). However, Spearman rank correlation analyses did not reveal a significant correlation between salivary flow rate and Candida count (in colony-forming units per mL) among patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Conclusions. Alteration in the oral microbial flora in patients with Sjogren's syndrome may be enhanced by the reduction in salivary output.
Hydrogen sulfide, renin, and regulating the second messenger cAMP. Focus on "Hydrogen sulfide regulates cAMP homeostasis and renin degranulation in As4.1 and rat renin-rich kidney cell".

the nonessential amino acid cysteine is catabolized by desulfuration, thereby releasing sulfur in a reduced oxidation state and generating sulfane sulfur or hydrogen sulfide (H2S). H2S can be further oxidized to sulfate ([10][1]), a form of sulfur that can be excreted by the kidney. H2S can be
The social and behavioral foundations of men's health--a public health perspective.

This article presents an overview of (1) the reported causes of death for men; (2) actual causes of these deaths; (3) other measures of male health behaviors that influence health status; (4) the role of gender as a determinant of health; (5) current knowledge about the links between health and behavior; (6) the influence of selected dimensions of the social environment (poverty, socioeconomic status, racism, and social capital) on health status and outcomes; and (7) theories and models used to understand individual behaviors that affect health, and to develop interventions that promote health enhancing behaviors.
Analytic model for surface-induced molecular weight segregation in thermoplastic composites

An analytic model based on a random-walk formulation for absorbing barriers is presented. The range of applicability of the model is established from results derived from Monte Carlo simulations. The model takes into account the influences of neutral, repulsive, and attractive polymer-surface interactions on the spatial variation of species concentrations in the vicinity of a surface. The model predicts that the lower molecular weight species of a polydisperse mixture will accumulate in the vicinity of a surface to create an interphase region. The extent of this surface-perturbed interphase region is on the order of three times the radius of gyration of the longest species of the mixture. The degree of molecular weight segregation is dependent upon the breadth of the molecular weight distribution