cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction of foreign DNA into walled plant cells via liposomes injected into the vacuole: a preliminary study

Plasmids containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene were introduced into tobacco and maize by electroporation. They were used to calibrate the performance characteristics of an Hamamatsu C1966 AVEC/VIM photonic camera-Leitz photomicroscope image processing system. Luciferin-dependent light emission was readily detected, on an individual cell basis, using the analytical photon counting mode of the Hamamatsu system. An efficient liposome-DNA encapsulation protocol was developed and used to introduce the firefly luciferase plasmid into walled cells of tobacco, maize, carrot and rice. This was achieved by pressure-injecting the liposomes (DNA encapsulated inside the vesicle) into the vacuole where they subsequently fused with the tonoplast, releasing the DNA into the cytoplasm. Analytical photon counting studies were conducted on injected cells to determine whether the DNA introduced in this way was expressed. To date all experiments have proved negative. Reasons for this lack of expression are discussed.
Regulation of Set9-Mediated H4K20 Methylation by a PWWP Domain Protein

Summary Methylation of histone H4 lysine 20 (H4K20me) is essential for recruiting checkpoint proteins 53BP1/Crb2 to DNA lesions and subsequent activation of a DNA-damage checkpoint. In fission yeast, Set9 (spKMT5) catalyzes mono-, di-, and trimethylation of H4K20. However, the mechanisms that regulate Set9 function are poorly understood. Here, we identified a PWWP domain protein Pdp1 as a Set9-associated factor. Pdp1 binds to histones and is required for Set9 chromatin localization. Yeast cells without Pdp1 were deficient in all three states of H4K20me, sensitive to genotoxic treatments, and impaired in Crb2 recruitment. The PWWP domain of Pdp1 binds to H4K20me, and mutations within the PWWP domain that abrogated this interaction in vitro reduced both the association of Set9 with chromatin and the extent of H4K20me in vivo. These results demonstrate that the PWWP domain is a new methyl-lysine recognition motif that plays important roles in epigenetic regulation.
Sixty Years of Improvement in Publicly Developed Elite Soybean Lines

Publicly supported soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] breeders evaluate their elite breeding lines in cooperative tests across the northern soybean production area of the USA and Canada. These cooperative tests have been conducted for 60 yr, and virtually all publicly released cultivars have been evaluated in these tests. However, the progress made has not been reported. The objective of this research was to determine progress in elite line improvement in soybean adapted to northern soybean production areas across this 60-yr period. Two-year performance data for the three highest-yielding entries in these tests were regressed on years that entries appeared in maturity group (MG) tests across a 60-yr period. Rates of yield improvement in kg ha -1 yr -1 were 21.6 (MG 00), 25.8 (MG 0), 30.4 (MG 1), 29.3 (MG II), 30.6 MG (III), and 29.5 (MG IV). In general, check cultivars were consistent in performance across years in which the checks were included in the tests. Plant height increased slightly for elite lines in MG I, but decreased significantly for elite lines in MGs II to IV. Plant lodging decreased significantly for elite lines in every MG test except MG I. Seed protein concentration decreased significantly for elite lines only in MG I (-0.29 g kg -1 yr -1 ) and II (-0.27 g kg -1 yr -1 ). Seed oil increased significantly in MG 00 (0.19 g kg -1 yr -1 ) and decreased significantly in MG III (-0.11 g kg -1 yr -1 ). The data demonstrate that soybean breeders have increased seed yield of cultivars by 1.0% yr -1 , while significantly increasing resistance to plant lodging. Rates of yield improvement during the past 20 yr have been equal to or greater than rates of improvement in earlier years.
Angiotensin II activates JAK2/STAT3 pathway and induces interleukin-6 production in cultured rat brainstem astrocytes.

Abstract We have shown that tyrosine kinases and mitogen-activated protein kinases mediate angiotensin II (Ang II) effects in cultured rat astrocytes. In this study, we investigated whether Ang II induces Janus kinase (JAK) 2, signal transducer and activators of transcription (STAT) 3 phosphorylation, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion in cultured brainstem rat astrocytes. Ang II increased JAK2 phosphorylation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Maximal phosphorylation of 1.7 ± 0.4 fold above basal was observed at 15 min with 100 nM Ang II. Losartan (10 µM), an AT 1 receptor blocker, inhibited Ang II-mediated JAK2 phosphorylation, while 10 µM PD123319, an AT 2 receptor blocker, was ineffective. The JAK2 inhibitor, AG490 (50 µM), prevented Ang II JAK2 phosphorylation. Ang II also stimulated STAT3 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Maximal phosphorylation of 0.8 ± 0.11 above basal was observed at 15 min with 100 nM Ang II. Treatment with AG490 reduced Ang II phosphorylation of STAT3 and Ang II-induced astrocyte growth suggesting that JAK2 is an upstream signal in these Ang II effects. Ang II also stimulated IL-6 secretion from brainstem astrocytes in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Maximal IL-6 secretion of 0.7 ± 0.2 above basal was observed with 100 nM Ang II after 48 h of treatment. Losartan decreased Ang II-induced IL-6 secretion while PD123319 was ineffective. Interestingly, AG490 reduced Ang II-stimulated IL-6 secretion. Our study showed for the first time that Ang II induced JAK2/STAT3 phosphorylation and IL-6 secretion through activation of the Ang II AT 1 receptor in brainstem astrocytes. In addition, Ang II stimulated IL-6 secretion and astrocyte growth through the JAK2 pathway in brainstem astrocytes. These results provide new insights into pro-inflammatory and mitogenic signaling mechanisms of Ang II in astrocytes.
Cytomegalovirus polyradiculopathy in HIV-infected patients.

Cytomegalovirus polyradiculopathy, a late complication of HIV infection, is characterized by lower extremity weakness, urinary retention, and sacral dysesthesias. We describe four patients (mean CD4 T-cell count=25 cells/mm3) who developed this “infectious cauda equina syndrome.” The characteristic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, notably atypical for a viral infection, included polymorphonuclear leukocytosis (mean white blood cell count=1512 cells/mm3, 72% polymorphonuclear leukocytes), elevated protein level (mean=370 mg/dl), and hypoglycorrhacia (mean=28 mg/dl). Physicians who treat patients with HIV should be familiar with this syndrome because early intervention, prior to microbiologic confirmation, provides the best hope for improving neurologic function.
When flexibility helps: Another look at the availability of flexible work arrangements and work–family conflict

Despite the positive press given to flexible work arrangements (FWA), empirical research investigating the link between the availability of these policies and work–family conflict is largely equivocal. The purpose of the present study was to begin to reconcile these mixed results through more precise measurement and the examination of moderators. Using a sample of employed women, we found that FWA relate more highly to work interference with family (WIF) than to family interference with work (FIW) and that temporal flexibility (flextime) has a stronger relationship with WIF than does spatial flexibility (flexplace). Additionally, we found family responsibility significantly moderated these relationships, such that the relationship was stronger for those with greater family responsibility. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
The development of understanding as an indirect memory strategy

Ten-through 14-year-old children were presented a complex task designed to elicit a variety of memorization strategies. There was a curvilinear relation of age and memory performance on the task: 12- and 13-year-olds took many more trials to memorize the items than did younger or older children. Subjects reported using strategies ranging from attempts at rote memorization through attempts to avoid memorization altogether by deriving some systematic understanding of the task. Differences in reported strategies were related to age and to differences in memory performance. Results are discussed in terms of a general development of the use of understanding as a deliberate, indirect memory strategy. Whereas much is known about changes in problem solving and reasoning during adolescence (see Neimark, 1975), there has been little study of the implication of these changes for memorization strategies. Memorization strategies that have been studied with adolescents seem straightforward extensions of concrete operational abilities to classify, seriate, and manipulate images of objects (Neimark, 1976: Rohwer, 1973). However, one could also expect strategy advances brought about by the formal operational child’s new found expertise in understanding systems of variables by relating occurrences and nonoccurrences of events to higher order principles, propositions, or systems. The present research is concerned with a type of memory strategy which qualifies as a candidate here: it
Income Distribution and Taxation Laws of Iran

Our perception of the world around us, both as to what it is and what it ought to be, is influenced by a variety of factors. Among such factors are the nature of training we have received and the philosophical outlook we have been exposed to in the course of our lives. To most of us, the manifestations and the impact, if any, of the ideas that we have thus formulated do not go beyond a small circle—our mates, children, friends, and associates. For a few, it can extend to a larger circle and at times to more than one generation. In one instance, however, the impact has encompassed a nation. The Shah's reform measures have not only affected the social, economic, and political life of Iran in this generation and generations to come, but it may have altered the destiny of the country in the community of nations.
A passive wireless sensor platform for chemical and biological agents

Passive wireless sensors can be used to detect chemical or biological agents without the use of probes or wires and without the use of a battery. This paper presents a platform used as a passive wireless sensor to detect certain chemicals of interest. The wireless sensor is powered through an interrogator which sends magnetic/inductive waves to the remote sensor. The sensor converts the power to direct current and then sends back a portion of the power through radio frequency waves with altered frequency, amplitude, and phase. The characteristics of the received signal contain the information about the agent of interest.
Stability criteria for conjugate points of indefinite second order differential systems

Abstract Conjugate points of vector differential equations x″ + A(t) x = 0 are called hyper-conjugate points if they are realized by a positive solution. Conditions are established for the existence of stable hyperconjugate points, and these are related to a systems form of the Sturm comparison theorem.
Restructuring for self-renewal: Navistar International Corporation

Executive Overview The new rules of doing business in a global economy have forced transformations in a variety of industries. We are seeing a deep, structural crisis in many U.S. organizations that now commands both executive and legislative attention. The challenge of managing the transitions provoked by organizational decline offers an opportunity to discover new theoretical and practical insights into redesigning organizations for self-renewal and competitive advantage in the expanding global marketplace. Navistar International Corporation stands as an example of an American company that managed to avoid bankruptcy and to revitalize itself without the assistance of federal government guaranteed loans. It has successfully transformed itself from a sluggish bureaucracy to a streamlined, world class manufacturer with a growing reputation for being a superfast innovator. This article explores the Navistar case and raises implications for effectively managing organizational decline and renewal.
Electrical properties of implant encapsulation tissue.

The purpose of this study was to determine the electrical properties of the encapsulation tissue that surrounds electrodes chronically implanted in the body. Two four-electrode arrays, fabricated from either epoxy or silicone rubber, were implanted in each of six adult cats for 82 to 156 days.In vivo measurements of tissue resistivity using the four-electrode technique indicated that formation of the encapsulation tissue resulted in a significant increase in the resistivity of the tissue around the arrays.In vitro measurements of tissue impedance using a four-electrode cell indicated that the resistivity of the encapsulation tissue was a function of the tissue morphology. The tight layers of fibroblasts and collagen that formed around the silicone rubber arrays had a resistivity of 627±108 Ω-cm (mean ± SD; n=6), which was independent of frequency from 10 Hz to 100 kHz, and was significantly larger than the resistivity of the epoxy encapsulation tissue at all frequencies between 20 Hz and 100 kHz. The combination of macrophages, foreign body giant cells, loose collagen, and fibroblasts that formed around the epoxy arrays had a frequency-dependent resistivity that decreased from 454±123 Ω-cm (n=5) to 193±98 Ω-cm between 10 Hz and 1 kHz, and was independent of frequency between 1 kHz and 100 kHz, with a mean value of 195 ±88 Ω-cm. The results indicate that the resistivity of the encapsulation tissue is sufficient to alter the shape and magnitude of the electric field generated by chronically implanted electrodes.
CORRELATIONS OF WECHSLER-BELLEVUE RANK ORDERS OF SUBTEST MEANS IN LATERALIZED AND NON-LATERALIZED BRAIN-DAMAGED GROUPS

Rank difference coefficients of correlation were computed between Wechsler-Bellevue (Form I) rank orders of subtest means in 20 groups of adult Ss with verified brain damage. Six groups with right hemisphere damage, 6 groups with left hemisphere damage, and 8 groups with non-lateralized brain damage were included, with the groups composed according to a variety of lateralizing criteria including independent conclusions drawn from neurological, neurosurgical and neuropathological findings, EEG lateralization, visual field defects, suppression phenomena, dysphasia and difficulty in copying spatial configurations. Consistencies in rank orders of subtest means far beyond chance expectancies were demonstrated within the lateralized brain-damaged categories, while highly significant differences in subtest rank orders were shown between the right and left hemisphere groups. The results suggested that lateralization of brain lesions has a striking effect upon the rank order of Wechsler-Bellevue subtests and that ...
The nature of an apology: An experimental study on how to apologize after a service failure

Extant service recovery research treats apology as a dichotomy, in that it is either present or absent, but how it is conveyed is neglected. Based upon social psychological research, this study argues that an apology comprises three different components: empathy, intensity, and timing, which make each apology unique. It is shown that how well an apology is delivered across failure types (outcome vs. process) drives service recovery satisfaction, not its mere presence. Empathy, intensity, and timing separately impact satisfaction. The more empathic and intense the apology is given, the more satisfied respondents are. A late apology decreases satisfaction ratings. Effect sizes indicate that empathy has the strongest impact on service recovery satisfaction followed by intensity and timing. The effect of empathy is stronger for process failures than for outcome failures. Interestingly, the apology’s overall effect size is comparable to that of compensation in case of a process failure.
Lossless compression techniques for maskless lithography data

Future lithography systems must produce more dense chips with smaller feature sizes, while maintaining the throughput of one wafer per sixty seconds per layer achieved by today's optical lithography systems. To achieve this throughput with a direct-write maskless lithography system, using 25 nm pixels for 50 nm feature sizes, requires data rates of about 10 Tb/s. In a previous paper, we presented an architecture which achieves this data rate contingent on consistent 25 to 1 compression of lithography data, and on implementation of a decoder-writer chip with a real-time decompressor fabricated on the same chip as the massively parallel array of lithography writers. In this paper, we examine the compression efficiency of a spectrum of techniques suitable for lithography data, including two industry standards JBIG and JPEG-LS, a wavelet based technique SPIHT, general file compression techniques ZIP and BZIP2, our own 2D-LZ technique, and a simple list-of-rectangles representation RECT. Layouts rasterized both to black-and-white pixels, and to 32 level gray pixels are considered. Based on compression efficiency, JBIG, ZIP, 2D-LZ, and BZIP2 are found to be strong candidates for application to maskless lithography data, in many cases far exceeding the required compression ratio of 25. To demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the decoder-writer chip, we consider the design of a hardware decoder based on ZIP, the simplest of the four candidate techniques. The basic algorithm behind ZIP compression is Lempel-Ziv 1977 (LZ77), and the design parameters of LZ77 decompression are optimized to minimize circuit usage while maintaining compression efficiency.
Study of light-induced creation of defects in a-Si:H by means of single and dual-beam photoconductivity

Abstract The different response of photoconductive properties of a-Si:H to light exposure and annealing suggests that two kinds of metastable states can be produced. One kind decreases the mobility-lifetime product μ, the other increases the subbandgap absorption.
Operation Donate: defining the value of redispensing medications donated by individuals.

Abstract Objective To assess the utility of medication donation by patients and families for redispensing in a nonprofit pharmacy. Setting Cumberland County Medication Access Program (CCMAP) in Fayetteville, NC. Practice description CCMAP is a patient assistance pharmacy providing prescription medication to patients who lack health insurance and the financial means to obtain medication. Practice innovation CCMAP was approached with a plan to solicit, accept, and redispense donated medications from members of the public. Evaluation The primary outcome was value of the collected medications defined by average wholesale price (AWP). Other outcomes measured were percentage of medications redispensed and their value, associated personnel costs, and cost for disposal of unusable medications. Results 188 usable donations were collected, with a value of $71,145.29. Of the collected medications, 27 prescription medications valued at $2,865.12 were redispensed during the pilot project. Costs included 6.5 hours of time valued at $162.58 and disposal of unusable medications costing $143. Conclusion Collecting and redispensing medications from patients and their families may be useful and cost effective for patient assistance pharmacies.
Birefringence Control In Optical Disc Molding

The optical anisotropy which is frozen into transparent plastic parts has often been utilized to assess the level of molecular orientation produced during the injection molding process [1]. The advent of optics based digital information encoding and retrieval technologies (optical discs) have required the development of transparent polymeric materials which can be injection molded into optical components with controlled (low) levels of optical anisotropy. The light beam typically passes through the transparent substrate, and excessive levels of optical anisotropy degrade the performance of the data retrieval system. This optical anisotropy has been shown to be caused by recoverable molecular orientations, which are produced in the filling and holding portions of the injection molding cycle, and are frozen into the part during the molding process. Processing effects on molded in birefringence have been approached from empirical [2], experimental [3], and theoretical [4,5,6] viewpoints. The latter efforts have focused on predicting the optical anisotropy in transparent moldings. This paper will present experimental results obtained for several polycarbonates of bisphenol-A. Concepts from flow birefringence in molten polymers [7] will be used to identify the significant process and melt rheological variables which influence molded in birefringence. Control strategies to minimize orientations produced during both mold filling and the pack-and-hold portions of the molding cycle will be developed. Results will be presented for two mold geometries, an end gated plaque and a center gated disc, to demonstrate the interrelationships between processing and melt theology which govern the optical properties of the moldings. In addition, some preliminary results on the utility of variable-cavity-volume mold designs to further reduce optical anisotropy will be discussed as well as development of a polariscope to measure in greater detail optical properties of compact disc substrates.
The New Hackers: Historiography Through Disconnection

This response characterizes each of the articles in this special issue as instances of “hacking”—which is to say they create new historiographical approaches by getting inside established modes and subjects of rhetorical history, finding and exploiting their incongruities or vulnerabilities.
EFFECTS OF ETHNICITY IN ATTITUDES TOWARD WRITING

Summary.-The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of ethnicity (as culture) on attitudes toward writing of students in Grades 4 to 8. A 19-item survey was administered to 1798 students in Grades 4 to 8 in ten schools in three school districts. There was no significant effect of ethnicity on the Total score, but there were significant main effects for grade and for gender and a significant interaction only for ethnicity by grade. Follow-up of significant main effects usmg ScheffC tests indicated that older students have higher scores than younger ones, suggescmg their attitudes are less positive and girls have lower scores than boys, indicacmg their attitudes are more positive. The interaction of ethnicity by grade points to a pattern of Anglo-American and Hispanic students having higher (less positive) scores at each grade. This pattern is similar for black and Asian students, but in Grade 7 black and Asian students have lower scores than those in Grade 6. Competing hypotheses to explain the main effects are hscussed. Results of analyses of the three factors reported in the development of this instrument in addition to the analysis of the total score are also discussed. White and Tisher (1986), in the Third Handbook of Research on Teaching, discuss the study of attitudes. They point out that there is no mature theory encompassing the nature of attitudes and their relation to other constructs. The relationships between attitudes and personality attributes, abilities, interests, feelings, values, and appreciations are not clear. Despite the difficulties, students' attitudes toward school subjects are regarded as important since more attention is being given to the affective dimension of students' educational experiences. Researchers seem to agree with Summers' (1977) observation that cognitive characteristics may set some limits on students' development, but affective characteristics will influence whether an attempt is made to reach the limits. With respect to attitudes toward writing, Scardamalia and Bereiter
Optical Gating With Asymmetric Field Ratios for Isolated Attosecond Pulse Generation

A technique to improve double optical gating for generating isolated attosecond pulses is introduced. In this method, the ratio between the amplitudes of the counter-rotating pulses is altered to decrease the field strength prior to the linearly-polarized gate cycle. The result is a decrease in the preionization of the gas target used for generating high-order harmonics. In addition to improving phase matching and increasing the saturation intensity, this development also allows isolated attosecond pulse production with longer driving laser pulses.
Binary Monolayer Mixtures: Modification of Nanopores in Silicon-Supported Tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl Monolayers

Chemically grafted monolayers were prepared by reaction of tris(trimethylsiloxy)chlorosilane (tris-TMSCl) with silicon wafers both in the vapor phase and in toluene solution. Denser (more closely packed) monolayers, as assessed by carbon content (determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and contact angle analysis, were obtained using the vapor phase reaction. Contact angles (θA/θR) for water, methylene iodide, and hexadecane on the vapor phase modified surfaces (96°/87°; 66°/56°; 33°/31°) indicate the hydrophobic and oleophobic nature of this surface. Dynamic contact angles of 30 different probe fluids were measured on the tris-TMS surfaces. A plot of contact angle hysteresis (the difference between advancing and receding contact angles) versus molar volume of the probe fluid shows a sharp decrease in hysteresis in the region of 180−190 cm3/mol for tris-TMS monolayers prepared in vapor phase. Probe fluids with lower molecular volume exhibit hysteresis of 8−12 degrees, while liquids of larger mol...
Tolerance Analysis for Sheet Metal Assemblies

Traditional tolerance analyses such as the worst case methods and the statistical methods are applicable to rigid body assemblies. However, for flexible sheet metal assemblies, the traditional methods are not adequate: the components can deform, changing the dimensions during assembly. This paper evaluates the effects of deformation on component tolerances using linear mechanics. Two basic configurations, assembly in series and assembly in parallel, are investigated using analytical methods. Assembly sequences and multiple joints beyond the basic configurations are further examined using numerical methods (with finite element analysis). These findings constitute a new methodology for the tolerancing of deformable parts.
Sexual Reproduction in Geotrichum candidum

A perfect state of Geotrichum candidum was isolated from soil in Puerto Rico. Wild-type cultures are self-fertile but give rise to self-sterile, cross-fertile mating types morphologically different in some respects from the wild type. This discovery of the perfect state of G. candidum and its unique pattern of sexuality may contribute to knowledge of its ecology, the origin of pathogenic races, and speciation.
Phosphorescence of 1-indanone and related compounds

Abstract Dual phosphorescence of 1-indanone and related molecules is shown to arise from two nearby triplet states of different orbital origin.
Static versus dynamic moisture equilibria in the drying of biological products

Abstract It has been assumed by many investigators of drying problems that the surface moisture content of a biological product during the falling rate drying period will remain at a dynamic moisture equilibrium content rather than reach the static equilibrium condition. This hypothesis was tested for the drying of alfalfa wafers and was proven wrong; the surfaces of the wafers attained the static rather than a dynamic equilibrium moisture content soon after the start of drying. When the static moisture equilibrium was used as a boundary condition for solving the second order differential equation of diffusion, it predicted the drying behaviour of alfalfa wafers correctly with the diffusion coefficient remaining constant during all but the initial stages of drying. The value of the diffusion coefficient depended on which moisture equilibrium, the static or a dynamic, was employed; the use of the static moisture equilibrium resulted in smaller calculated diffusion coefficients.
Visual Control For Robot Handling Of Unoriented Parts

Robots guided by image analysis have successfully acquired parts from bins, computed part position and orientation, and performed manipulation to bring parts to the same position and orientation. This task is common to many workstations in manufacturing industries since parts are often supplied in bins and must be oriented before insertion into a machine. Systems which are currently technically demonstrated as feasible have profitable applications now, but the number of suitable applications now is small when compared to those which will be appropriate in several years. More research is needed to make such robot systems fast, easily programmed, inexpensive, reliable, and applicable to a wider variety of parts. The roles of vision include directing a hand into a bin to grasp a single piece, computing the orientation of a piece in a robot's hand, piece guidance into a fixture, verification of placement in a fixture, and inspection for piece integrity.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase and Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibitors Produce Anti-Allodynic Effects in Mice Through Distinct Cannabinoid Receptor Mechanisms

Abstract The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are predominantly regulated by the respective catabolic enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). Inhibition of these enzymes elevates endocannabinoid levels and attenuates neuropathic pain. In the present study, CB 1 and CB 2 receptor-deficient mice were subjected to chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve to examine the relative contribution of each receptor for the anti-allodynic effects of the FAAH inhibitor, PF-3845, and the MAGL inhibitor, JZL184. CCI caused marked hypersensitivity to mechanical and cold stimuli, which was not altered by deletion of either the CB 1 or CB 2 receptor, but was attenuated by gabapentin, as well as by each enzyme inhibitor. Whereas PF-3845 lacked anti-allodynic efficacy in both knockout lines, JZL184 did not produce anti-allodynic effects in CB 1 (-/-) mice, but retained its anti-allodynic effects in CB 2 (-/-) mice. These data indicate that FAAH and MAGL inhibitors reduce nerve injury-related hyperalgesic states through distinct cannabinoid receptor mechanisms of action. In conclusion, although endogenous cannabinoids do not appear to play a tonic role in long-term expression of neuropathic pain states, both FAAH and MAGL represent potential therapeutic targets for the development of pharmacological agents to treat chronic pain resulting from nerve injury. Perspective This article presents data addressing the cannabinoid receptor mechanisms underlying the anti-allodynic actions of endocannabinoid catabolic enzyme inhibitors in the mouse sciatic nerve ligation model. Fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors reduced allodynia through distinct cannabinoid receptor mechanisms. These enzymes offer potential targets to treat neuropathic pain.
Refining and Resolving the Blur of Gault for Juvenile Capital Offenders in Texas: A World without the Juvenile Death Penalty

Abstract Texas's approach to juvenile capital offenders has been profoundly lacking any balance of the interests of accountability and rehabilitation. Texas has employed adult transfer for juvenile capital offenders with potential life imprisonment and possible parole in 40 years and determinate sentencing to adjudicate capital offenders in juvenile court, yielding a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Legislative initiatives in the 1990s to curtail parole have led to only 22 percent of violent offenders receiving early release while serving an average of 61 percent of their sentence. Aggravated offenders, including youth capital offenders, serve at least 80 percent of their total incarceration time. Notably the Texas framework does not effectively allow for offenders whose acts were the product of either an undeveloped or disabled mental capability to be punished appropriately and distinctly from those who possess psychotic or antisocial tendencies—or adult offenders. This deficiency is worsened as a...
President's Introduction: Religious Education for Peace and Justice

In a passage from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice asks the Cheshire Cat: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where y...
Treatment of squamous cell carcinoma in situ: a review.

BACKGROUNDSquamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS) is thought to be a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma. It should be treated before invasive cancer develops, especially in transplant recipients, who may develop more aggressive skin cancers. Treatment can involve surgical and nonsurgical methods.O
TRANSPORT OF INORGANIC IONS IN POLAR PLANT TISSUES.

In a short note some remarkable parallelisms between the polar auxin transport in stems and salt accumulation by many plant cells were pointed out (8). It was suggested that both phenomena were an expression of the same basic property of active cells, namely, their adenoid activity. In this connection the question arose whether inorganic salts were transported inside plant organs by the same mechanism which causes the auxin to move from apex to base only. Some phenomena seemed to support this idea of polar movement of bases and acids in general. The excretion from roots is acid whereas the ex?date from leaves is basic.
Spatial ability for STEM domains: Aligning over 50 years of cumulative psychological knowledge solidifies its importance.

The importance of spatial ability in educational pursuits and the world of work was examined, with particular attention devoted to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) domains. Participants were drawn from a stratified random sample of U.S. high schools (Grades 9–12, N 400,000) and were tracked for 11 years; their longitudinal findings were aligned with pre-1957 findings and with contemporary data from the Graduate Record Examination and the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth. For decades, spatial ability assessed during adolescence has surfaced as a salient psychological attribute among those adolescents who subsequently go on to achieve advanced educational credentials and occupations in STEM. Results solidify the generalization that spatial ability plays a critical role in developing expertise in STEM and suggest, among other things, that including spatial ability in modern talent searches would identify many adolescents with potential for STEM who are currently being missed.
United States pedestrian fatality rates by vehicle type.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the relation between motor vehicle type and the risk of fatally injuring a pedestrian. DESIGN: The risk of killing a pedestrian was measured as the number of pedestrian fatalities per billion miles of vehicle travel by each vehicle type in the US in 2002 as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates for each vehicle type by sex, age, and rural/urban roadway type and rate comparisons using relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Passenger cars and light trucks (vans, pickups, and sport utility vehicles) accounted for 46.1% and 39.1%, respectively, of the 4875 deaths, with the remainder split among motorcycles, buses, and heavy trucks. Compared with cars, the RR of killing a pedestrian per vehicle mile was 7.97 (95% CI 6.33 to 10.04) for buses; 1.93 (95% CI 1.30 to 2.86) for motorcycles; 1.45 (95% CI 1.37 to 1.55) for light trucks, and 0.96 (95% CI 0.79 to 1.18) for heavy trucks. Compared with cars, buses were 11.85 times (95% CI 6.07 to 23.12) and motorcycles were 3.77 times (95% CI 1.40 to 10.20) more likely per mile to kill children 0-14 years old. Buses were 16.70 times (95% CI 7.30 to 38.19) more likely to kill adults age 85 or older than were cars. The risk of killing a pedestrian per vehicle mile traveled in an urban area was 1.57 times (95% CI 1.47 to 1.67) the risk in a rural area. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes reflect the ways in which a vehicle's characteristics (mass, front end design, and visibility) and its degree of interaction with pedestrians affect its risk per mile. Modifications in vehicle design might reduce pedestrian injury. The greatest impact on overall US pedestrian mortality will result from reducing the risk from the light truck category.
Butyrate-Producing Bacteria, Including Mucin Degraders, from the Swine Intestinal Tract

To identify bacteria with potential for influencing gut health, 980 anaerobes were cultured from the swine intestinal tract and analyzed for butyrate production. Fifteen isolates in the order Clostridiales produced butyrate and had butyryl coenzyme A (CoA):acetate CoA transferase activity. Three of the isolates grew on mucin, suggesting an intimate association with host intestinal mucosa.
Advanced sensor development by MNX

The MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange (MNX) was established in 1999 with support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as an implementation service for the United States R&D community. The overriding goal of the MNX is to provide maximum design and fabrication freedom, which is extremely important for enabling high performance and innovation in the development of MEMS sensors. This paper will provide an overview of the MNX operation and review some of the advanced fabrication technologies made available by the MNX for the implementation of advanced MEMS sensors.
Multi-foci fractal-graph networks

Some properties of multi-foci fractal-graph networks which are used to characterize large, dynamic telecommunication, computer, and data networks are discussed. These networks are synthesized using previously developed concepts of fractal geometry, and are characterized by a fractal dimension, more than one central node, and a large number of auxiliary nodes. Performance characteristics of these networks are shown to be related to their geometrical and fractal descriptors. >
Genomic microarrays in human genetic disease and cancer

Alterations in the genome that lead to changes in DNA sequence copy number are a characteristic of solid tumors and are found in association with developmental abnormalities and/or mental retardation. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) can be used to detect and map these changes. Recent improvements in the resolution and sensitivity of CGH have been possible through implementation of microarray-based CGH (array CGH). Here we discuss the performance characteristics of different array platforms and review some of the recent applications of array CGH in cancer and medical genetics.
Wavelets on Graphs via Deep Learning

An increasing number of applications require processing of signals defined on weighted graphs. While wavelets provide a flexible tool for signal processing in the classical setting of regular domains, the existing graph wavelet constructions are less flexible - they are guided solely by the structure of the underlying graph and do not take directly into consideration the particular class of signals to be processed. This paper introduces a machine learning framework for constructing graph wavelets that can sparsely represent a given class of signals. Our construction uses the lifting scheme, and is based on the observation that the recurrent nature of the lifting scheme gives rise to a structure resembling a deep auto-encoder network. Particular properties that the resulting wavelets must satisfy determine the training objective and the structure of the involved neural networks. The training is unsupervised, and is conducted similarly to the greedy pre-training of a stack of auto-encoders. After training is completed, we obtain a linear wavelet transform that can be applied to any graph signal in time and memory linear in the size of the graph. Improved sparsity of our wavelet transform for the test signals is confirmed via experiments both on synthetic and real data.
Central infusion of GLP-1, but not leptin, produces conditioned taste aversions in rats

Leptin (ob protein) and glucagon-like peptide-1-(7-36) amide (GLP-1) are peptides recently proposed to be involved in the regulation of food intake. Although the ability of exogenous leptin and GLP-1 to modulate consummatory behavior is consistent with the suggestion that these peptides are endogenous regulatory agents, central administration of these peptides may have aversive side effects, which could explain the anorexia. In the present experiment, exposure to a saccharine taste was immediately followed by central administration of leptin or GLP-1 to determine if these drugs could produce a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in rats. At doses equated for producing comparable reductions in short-term food intake, GLP-1, but not leptin, generated a robust CTA. Although leptin caused no aversion, this peptide was the only drug to cause relatively long-term reductions in food consumption (16 h) and body weight (24 h). Hence, the results indicate that central GLP-1 produces aversive side effects, and it is argued that these nonspecific effects may explain the anorectic actions of GLP-1.
When terrorists go bad: : Analyzing terrorist organizations’ involvement in drug smuggling

The intersection of terrorism and organized crime is a central global security concern. However, the conditions that contribute to this intersection or hinder its development are widely debated. Drawing on prominent cases of ideologically driven violent nonstate actors engaged in illicit economies, some scholars argue that this intersection is a logical evolution. Other scholars, focusing on the fact that relatively few groups engage in both organized crime and terrorism, argue that ideological differences hinder this intersection. We use data on 395 terrorist organizations to analyze how organizational and environmental factors affect the likelihood of terrorist involvement in illicit drug trafficking. Our analysis shows that the degree of connectivity within networks of terrorist groups is the most significant predictor of a group engaging in drug trafficking. Further, contrary to the theorized effects of ideology, an explicit religious ideology has no significant effect while an ethnopolitical ideology actually increases the likelihood of drug trafficking.
Results of radiotherapy in the treatment of acromegaly: Lack of ophthalmologic complications

Abstract Between 1956 and 1988, 25 patients were treated with radiotherapy for acromegaly. Acromegalic features were present in 24 (96%), visual field deficits in 4 (16%), and suprasellar extension was present in 7 patients (28%). The median growth hormone level was 40.2 ng/ml (range: 13.8–105) in 15 patients. Initial therapy consisted of radiotherapy alone (19 patients) or surgery followed at some interval by radiation (6 patients). The radiation therapy was administered with megavoltage equipment in 23 (92%) patients and orthovoltage equipment in 2 patients. The median total dose was 46 Gy (range: 24–53.44 Gy) with 21 patients receiving at least 45 Gy. With a median follow-up of 53 months (range: 18–205), 2 of the 19 patients treated with radiotherapy alone have required surgery for symptomatic recurrences. Both are alive and in remission at 69 and 158 months following craniotomy. Thus, the success of radiotherapy as a primary modality in this series is 1719 (89%). None of the six patients treated postoperatively have recurred. At the time of last follow-up the visual fields remained normal and visual acuity stable in the 21 patients with no pre-existing visual deficits. The four patients with prior visual field deficits improved with therapy. There were no cases of radiation optic neuropathy, brain necrosis or second intracranial malignancies. Seven patients (28%) had evidence of hypopituitarism attributed to the radiotherapy. Growth hormone levels after radiotherapy showed a median of 5.4 ng/ml (range: 3.2–40.0) in 15 patients. Eleven of 15 patients (73%) had growth hormone levels
Whorl-like outer segments in the retina of the mole (Scalopus aquaticus).

The retina of the common mole, Scalopus aquaticus , has been studied with the transmission electron microscope. Structures examined include: pigment epithelium, outer and inner segme
Observation of energetic deuteron ions accelerated from the rear surface of laser-irradiated flat-foil targets

Deuteron ions accelerated from the rear-surface of laser-irradiated flat-foil targets have been observed with energies up to 7 MeV. The observations were made using a compact-design Thomson Parabola Spectrometer with a static magnetic field strength of around 0.8 T and an electric field strength of around 3 kV. The ions were accelerated from the rear surface by the Target-Normal-Sheath-Acceleration mechanism1. The targets were 500×500×3 µm3 silicon substrates, etched from rigid wafers, coated with 50 nm of Al. The laser was incident into the etched-out cavity at the front of the wafer. The rear surface of the wafer was coated with a solution of deuterated plastic (Cambridge isotopes CD 98%) dissolved in toluene in the ratio of 1∶150. Upon evaporation of the toluene, a residue of CD with a thickness of about1 µm constituted the deuteron source and the target final layer. The experiments were performed on the GHOST laser facility at the University of Texas at Austin2. The laser, which is focused to a radius of around 6 µm, provided up to 2 J of energy in a pulse of duration 115 fs corresponding to a mean intensity exceeding 1019 Wcm−2.
Capacity With Causal and Noncausal Side Information: A Unified View

In this correspondence, we identify the common underlying form of the capacity expression that is applicable to both cases where causal or noncausal side information is made available to the transmitter. A genie-aided outerbound is developed that states that when a genie provides n bits of side information to a receiver the resulting capacity improvement cannot be more than n bits. Using the genie-bound we are able to bound the relative capacity advantage of noncausal side information over causal side information for both the single user point-to-point channel as well as the multiple-access channel (MAC) with independent side information at the transmitters. Applications of these capacity bounds are demonstrated through examples of random access channels. Interestingly, the capacity results indicate that the excessive MAC layer overheads common in present wireless systems may be avoided through coding across multiple-access blocks. It is also shown that even one bit of side information at the transmitter can result in unbounded capacity improvement
In-situ and ex-situ upgrading of pyrolysis vapors from beetle-killed trees

Abstract In this article, we systematically studied the effects of several parameters on the product yield and selectivity for the in-situ and ex-situ upgrading of pyrolysis vapors from beetle-killed trees using a micro-pyrolyzer equipped with an online GC/MS/FID. HZSM-5 was used as catalyst for both processes. The in-situ upgrading was highly affected by the catalyst-to-biomass ratio. At the ratio of 10, the highest aromatic yield of 25% was obtained with the carbonaceous residues yield of 41%. For the ex-situ upgrading, the most important variable to affect the product yield is the secondary reactor temperature. The highest aromatic yield of 22% and lowest coke yield of 14% was achieved at the secondary reactor temperature of 600 °C. Alkylation and dealkylation of alkyl aromatics over HZSM-5 played an important role in determining product selectivity in both processes. Dealkylation reactions were favored at higher temperature and the alkylation reactions were promoted at lower temperature, which is consistent with the exothermic nature of alkylation. A direct comparison between the in-situ and ex-situ upgrading processes was made under identical conditions. The comparison shows largely similar yields of aromatic volatiles and solid residues between the two upgrading processes, with differences primarily on species selectivity. As a result of the alkylation/dealkylation reactions, the in-situ upgrading had higher selectivity to xylenes and aromatics with nine carbons, and the ex-situ upgrading exhibited higher selectivity to benzene and toluene.