cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A NEW LARVAL FISH BIOASSAY FOR TESTING THE PATHOGENICITY OF PFIESTERIA SPP. (DINOPHYCEAE) 1

Water quality, microbial contamination, prior fish health, and variable results have been major impediments to identifying the cause and mechanism of fish mortality in standard aquarium-format Pfiesteria bioassays. Therefore, we developed a sensitive 96-h larval fish bioassay for assessing Pfiesteria spp. pathogenicity using six-well tissue culture plates and 7-dayold larval cyprinodontid fish. We used the assay to test pathogenicity of several clonal lines of Pfiesteria piscicida Steidinger and Burkholder and P. shumwayae Glasgow and Burkholder that had been cultured with algal prey for 2 to 36 months. The P. shumwayae cultures exhibited 80%‐100% cumulative mortality in less than 96 h at initial zoospore densities of approximately 1000 cells·mL � 1 . No fish mortalities occurred with P. piscicida at identical densities or in controls. In a dose-response assay, we demonstrated a strong positive correlation between dinospore density and fish mortality in a highly pathogenic culture of P. shumwayae , generating a 96-h LD 50 of 108 zoospores·mL � 1 . Additionally, we applied the assay to evaluate a 38-L P. shumwayae bioassay that was actively killing fish and compared results with those from exposures of juvenile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) in a 500-mL assay system. Water from the fish-killing 38-L assay was filtered and centrifuged to produce fractions dominated by dinoflagellates, bacteria, or presumed ichthyotoxin (cell-free fraction). After 96 h, the larval fish assay exhibited 50%‐100% cumulative mortality only in fractions containing dinoflagellates, with no mortalities occurring in the other fractions. The 500-mL bioassay with tilapia produced inconsistent results and demonstrated no clear correlation between mortality and treatment. The new larval fish bioassay was demonstrated as a highly effective method to verify and evaluate dinoflagellate pathogenicity.
Trends in PET scanner ownership and leasing by nonradiologist physicians.

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine growth trends in ownership or leasing of private-office PET scanners by nonradiologist physicians. Materials and Methods The Medicare Part B Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files for 2002 through 2007 were used to collect the following data for each PET-related Current Procedural Terminology ® code: 1) annual procedure volume, 2) places of service for the procedures, and 3) specialties of the physicians filing the claims. To determine ownership or leasing, only technical and global claims that occurred in the nonhospital, private-office setting were included in the study. Professional component–only claims were not included. Procedure volume and growth trends were compared between radiologists and other specialties. Results Between 2002 and 2007, radiologist-owned Medicare PET scans increased by 259%, whereas nonradiologist-owned or nonradiologist-leased scans grew by 737%. Five specialty groups accounted for 95% of all nonradiologist PET volume in 2007: internal medicine subspecialties (28,324 studies in 2007), medical oncology (14,320 studies), cardiology (13,724 studies), radiation oncology (9,563 studies), and primary care (2,398 studies). In 2002, of all Medicare PET examinations performed on units owned or leased by physicians, the share for nonradiologists was 13%; their share rose to 24% in 2007. Conclusion Although a large percentage of PET scans in private offices are done by radiologists, the growth rate among nonradiologists was far higher between 2002 and 2007 (259% for the former, 737% for the latter). The disproportionately rapid growth of PET scans performed on units owned by nonradiologists raises concern about self-referral at a time when policymakers are struggling to contain costs and reduce radiation exposure.
health effects associated with increased use of coal

The increased use of coal projected under the National Energy Plan has raised fears of increased morbidity and mortality related to fossil fuel combustion products. The evidence for adverse health effects from the major emissions of coal combustion is considered, as well as the basis for predictions of an increase in morbidity and mortality. It can be concluded that with presently available control technology, no detectable adverse health effects will be observed associated with increased coal combustion. It is further concluded that a reduction in energy supply, or a large increase in energy cost leading to reduced energy supply to lower socio-economic groups will cause far more demonstrable adverse health effects than increased coal utilization.
Web-based closed-domain data extraction on online advertisements

Taking advantage of the popularity of the web, online marketplaces such as Ebay (.com), advertisements (ads for short) websites such as Craigslist(.org), and commercial websites such as Carmax(.com) (allow users to) post ads on a variety of products and services. Instead of browsing through numerous websites to locate ads of interest, web users would benefit from the existence of a single, fully integrated database (DB) with ads in multiple domains, such as Cars-for-Sale and Job-Postings, populated from various online sources so that ads of interest could be retrieved at a centralized site. Since existing ads websites impose their own structures and formats for storing and accessing ads, generating a uniform, integrated ads repository is not a trivial task. The challenges include (i) identifying ads domains, (ii) dealing with the diversity in structures of ads in various ads domains, and (iii) analyzing data with different meanings in each ads domain. To handle these problems, we introduce ADEx, a tool that relies on various machine learning approaches to automate the process of extracting (un-/semi-/fully- structured) data from online ads to create ads records archived in an underlying DB through domain classification, keyword tagging, and identification of valid attribute values. Experimental results generated using a dataset of 18,000 online ads originated from Craigslist, Ebay, and KSL(.com) show that ADEx is superior in performance compared with existing text classification, keyword labeling, and data extraction approaches. Further evaluations verify that ADEx either outperforms or performs at least as good as current state-of-the-art information extractors in mapping data from unstructured or (semi-)structured sources into DB records.
Electromagnetically induced transparency with matched pulses.

In the last several years there have been studies and experiments showing how, by applying an additional laser beam, optically-thick transitions may be rendered nearly transparent to probing radiation. This transparency results from a quantum interference, very much like a Fano interference, which is established by the additional laser. This talk describes the difference between the quantum interference as exhibited by an independent atom and by an optically-thick ensemble of atoms. We find that an ensemble of atoms establishes transparency through a strong nonlinear interaction which, for a lambda system, tends to generate a matching temporal envelope on the complementary transition. For a ladder system, phase conjugate pulses are generated and, after a characteristic distance, establish transparency. The transparency of an optically-thick medium is therefore not a Beer`s law superposition of the independent atom response. To transmit a pulse through an otherwise opaque media, the front edge of the complementary pulse should lead, in the manner of {open_quotes}counter-intuitive{close_quotes} adiabatic transfer, the front edge of the pulse which is to be rendered transparent. Thereafter the pulses should be matched or, for a ladder system, phase-conjugately matched.
Mutagenesis and selection for oligomycin resistance in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) suspension culture cells

Soybean suspension culture cells were subjected to mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate and cells resistant to the ATP synthase inhibitor oligomycin were recovered. Suspension cultures showed high levels of resistance over a period of 17 months after mutagenesis. The level of resistance to oligomycin decreased during prolonged growth in the absence of the selection agent. Although mitochondrial inheritance of the resistance phenotype was not tested, this observation is consistent with segregation of resistant and sensitive mitochondria in progeny cells. Cross resistance to venturicidin was also observed which suggested the possible involvement of the mitochondrial ATP synthase subunit 9 gene, however, sequences of ATP synthase subunit 9 cDNA clones from resistant cells were identical to the wild type sequence. In addition, Southern blot analyses of DNA from wild type and resistant cultures did not identify rearrangements. These results indicated that resistance to oligomycin could not be directly attributed to a mutation in the primary gene sequence, an alteration in the RNA editing pattern of transcripts, or gross rearrangements in the region containing and directly adjacent to the ATP synthase subunit 9 gene in the mitochondrial DNA from resistant cultures.
Unmet need and problems accessing specialty medical and related services among children with special health care needs.

Objectives: To extend what is known about parent reports of their child's need for specialty medical and related services, unmet need, and specific types of access problems among children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Methods: Using data from a 1998–1999 20-state survey of families of CSHCN, we examined differences in parent report of need for services by child characteristics, investigated parent report of unmet need and access problems by service area and number of services needed, and estimated the likelihood of four access problems and unmet need by child, family, and health insurance characteristics. Results: Overall, the sample children had numerous service needs, although the prevalence of need varied by service type and child characteristics. Reports of unmet need were greater for older children and for children with multiple service needs, unstable health care needs or a behavioral health condition, parents who were in poor health or had more than a high school education, and families whose insurance coverage was inconsistent or lacked a secondary plan. Reports of access problems were greatest for mental health and home health services. The two most prevalent access problems were finding a skilled provider and getting enough visits. Conclusions: The results underscore the importance of finding new ways to link children with behavioral health problems to mental health services, implementing coordinated care and the other core dimensions of the medical home concept, increasing the number of specialty pediatricians and home health providers, and expanding coverage for a wider range of mental health services.
Exonization of the LTR transposable elements in human genome

Retrotransposons have been shown to contribute to evolution of both structure and regulation of protein coding genes. It has been postulated that the primary mechanism by which retrotransposons contribute to structural gene evolution is through insertion into an intron or a gene flanking region, and subsequent incorporation into an exon. We found that Long Terminal Repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are associated with 1,057 human genes (5.8%). In 256 cases LTR retrotransposons were observed in protein-coding regions, while 50 distinct protein coding exons in 45 genes were comprised exclusively of LTR RetroTransposon Sequence (LRTS). We go on to reconstruct the evolutionary history of an alternatively spliced exon of the Interleukin 22 receptor, alpha 2 gene (IL22RA2) derived from a sequence of retrotransposon of the Mammalian apparent LTR retrotransposons (MaLR) family. Sequencing and analysis of the homologous regions of genomes of several primates indicate that the LTR retrotransposon was inserted into the IL22RA2 gene at least prior to the divergence of Apes and Old World monkeys from a common ancestor (~25 MYA). We hypothesize that the recruitment of the part of LTR as a novel exon in great ape species occurred prior to the divergence of orangutans and humans from a common ancestor (~14 MYA) as a result of a single mutation in the proto-splice site. Our analysis of LRTS exonization events has shown that the patterns of LRTS distribution in human exons support the hypothesis that LRTS played a significant role in human gene evolution by providing cis-regulatory sequences; direct incorporation of LTR sequences into protein coding regions was observed less frequently. Combination of computational and experimental approaches used for tracing the history of the LTR exonization process of IL22RA2 gene presents a promising strategy that could facilitate further studies of transposon initiated gene evolution.
Interactions of the cholinergic and serotonergic systems: re-evaluation of conditions for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by serotonin and evidence for a new inhibitor derived from this natural indoleamine.

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase activity was inhibited by serotonin at an equimolar concentration in the presence of physiological concentrations of substrate. In addition, solutions of serotonin which had been exposed to light and air were more potent inhibitors of the enzyme than freshly prepared solutions of serotonin. Kinetic analyses revealed the inhibition to be noncompetitive in nature for both solutions, however, serotonin which was exposed to light and air exhibited a Ki value about one-half of that found for freshly prepared serotonin. Thin-layer and high performance liquid chromatographic analyses indicated the presence of an unknown compound which increased in concentration as a function of time of exposure of serotonin to light and air. The increased appearance of this unknown with time also correlated with increased inhibition of acetylcholinesterase.
Membrane protein biosensor arrays on CMOS

Membrane proteins play a vital role in biological function and have tremendous potential in microsystem array platforms utilizing bioelectrochemical methods for continuous use, label-free detection. To achieve this potential, challenges in membrane interfaces, on-CMOS electrode arrays, CMOS instrumentation electronics, and the integration of these technologies must be addressed. This paper outlines these challenges and summarizes recent developments toward membrane protein biosensor arrays on CMOS. A tethered bilayer lipid membrane with embedded alkali ion-channel protein is shown as example interface compatible with on-chip biosensor array realization. The development of on-CMOS electrode arrays and insulating layers capable of linking membrane protein interfaces with CMOS electronics is described. Finally, recent developments in CMOS instrumentation circuits for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and multiple voltammetry measurements are presented. Together, these accomplishments demonstrate the viability of microsystem platforms utilizing membrane proteins.
Thermodynamic and kinetic studies on the attachment of Tl bacteriophage to bacteria

Abstract The first step in the attachment of bacteriophage T1 to E. coli strain B bacteria is shown to be a thermodynamically reversible reaction. From measurements of the equilibrium constant at different ionic concentrations, values for the free-energy, heat of reaction, and entropy have been calculated. Kinetic measurements on the rates of the forwad and reverse parts of the attachment reaction are also reported. The significance of the equilibrium and kinetic constants for the mechanism of phage attachment is discussed.
Linear recruitment leads to allocation and flexibility in collective foraging by ants

Positive feedback in communication is central to the emergence of collective behaviour in animal groups. The nonlinearity hypothesis predicts that group behaviour will be defined in large part by the degree of cooperative interaction in this feedback. Strong interactions mean that the effectiveness of communication grows nonlinearly with signal quantity, leading to robust spatial patterning and consensus decision making. These predictions have been supported in many experimental systems, but the corresponding behaviour of linear systems, where signal effectiveness is proportional to signal quantity, has not been well explored. We examined the consequences of tandem running, a linear method of recruitment, for collective decision making by foraging colonies of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus. We found that colonies collectively chose the better of two unequal feeders, but they allocated foragers equally when feeders were identical. This result accords with theoretical predictions and contrasts with symmetry breaking seen in species with highly nonlinear trail pheromone recruitment. Colonies were also able to reallocate foragers when the quality of two unequal feeders was switched, again in accord with theoretical expectations. We built a model based upon the behaviour of individual ants and found that colony-level qualities of choice, allocation and flexibility can be predicted by two behaviours: quality-dependent linear recruitment and quality-dependent attrition. These experiments are the first thorough investigation of the consequences of linear recruitment for collective animal behaviour.
Cluster Effects in a National Dental PBRN Restorative Study

Items in clusters, such as patients of the same clinician or teeth within the same patient, tend to be more similar than items from different groups. This within-group similarity, represented by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), reduces precision, yielding less statistical power and wider confidence intervals, compared with non-clustered samples of the same size. This must be considered in the design of studies including clusters. We present ICC estimates from a study of 7,826 restorations placed in previously unrestored tooth surfaces of 4,672 patients by 222 clinicians in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, as a resource for sample size planning in restorative studies. Our findings suggest that magnitudes of ICCs in practice-based research can be substantial. These can have large effects on precision and the power to detect treatment effects. Generally, we found relatively large ICCs for characteristics that are influenced by clinician choice (e.g., 0.36 for rubber dam use). ICCs for outcomes within individual patients, such as tooth surfaces affected by a caries lesion, tended to be smaller (from 0.03 to 0.15), but were still sufficiently large to substantially affect statistical power. Clustering should be taken into account in the design of oral health studies and derivation of statistical power estimates for these studies (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00847470).
A cadmium-sensitive, tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel in bullfrog autonomic axons

The major component of the compound action potential of the bullfrog cardiac nerve was not blocked by TTX (10(-5) M) although the conduction velocity of these fibers was decreased by 50%. The TTX-resistant compound action potential was completely blocked by 100-300 microM CdCl2 but not by 5 mM CoCl2 or NiCl2. This cadmium-sensitive action potential was only partially reduced by removal of calcium from the medium but was abolished by replacement of sodium with sucrose, tetramethylammonium or choline. Therefore, in addition to the classical TTX-sensitive sodium channels, the parasympathetic axons of the bullfrog may also utilize a TTX-insensitive, cadmium-sensitive sodium channel.
Examining the Role of Collaborative Learning in a Public Speaking Course

Collaborative learning has been found to benefit students in various disciplines. Moreover, in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics literature, it was noted that minority students benefited the most from collaborative learning. Studies on the effects of collaborative learning in communication are limited. As a result, I examined the effect of collaborative learning in the public speaking course and investigated which cohort of stu- dents collaborative learning benefits the most. Variables that I studied included student learning, speech efficacy, and speech anxiety. Student learning was measured by students’ speech grades. I found that collaborative learning contributed to student learning. Moreover, I found that African American students, Hispanic American students, and students whose mother had no more than a high school education benefited the most from collaborative learning. In terms of speech efficacy and speech anxiety, results show that students in collaborative learning sessions ...
Uncertainty in the determination of the molecular weight of poly(A)-containing RNA.

Abstract Estimates of the weight average molecular weight of mouse myeloma cell cytoplasmic poly(A)(+)RNA obtained by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and by sucrose gradient sedimentation differ by a factor of two. This difference is not due to degradation of the RNA molecules during sedimentation nor to acid poly(A) double helix formation during electrophoresis. The difference is probably due, at least in part, to the presence of poly(A) sequences in the RNA molecules.
Lithologic controls on calcite recrystallization in Cenozoic deep-sea sediments

Abstract Interpretations of calcite strontium/calcium records in terms of ocean history and calcite diagenesis require distinguishing the effects on deep-sea calcite sediments of changes in ocean chemistry, of different mixes of calcite-depositing organisms as sediment contributors through time and space, and of the loss of Sr during diagenetic calcite recrystallization. In this paper Sr/Ca and δ 18 O values of bulk calcium carbonate sediments are used to estimate the relative extent of calcite recrystallization in samples from four time points (core tops, 5.6, 9.4, and 37.1 Ma) at eight Ocean Drilling Program sites in the equatorial Atlantic (Ceara Rise) and equatorial Pacific (Ontong Java Plateau and two eastern equatorial Pacific sites). The possibility that site-to-site differences in calcite Sr/Ca at a given time point originated from temporal variations in ocean chemistry was eliminated by careful age control of samples for each time point, with sample ages differing by less than the oceanic residence times of Sr and Ca. The Sr/Ca and δ 18 O values of 5.6- and 9.4-Ma samples from the less-carbonate-rich eastern equatorial Pacific sites and Ceara Rise Site 929 appear to be less diagenetically altered than the Sr/Ca and δ 18 O values of contemporaneous samples from the more carbonate-rich sites. It is evident from these data that both Sr/Ca and δ 18 O in bulk calcite have been diagenetically altered in some samples 5.6 Ma and older. These data indicate that noncarbonate sedimentary components, like clay and biogenic silica, have partially suppressed recrystallization at the lower carbonate sites. Sr/Ca data from the less altered, carbonate-poor sites indicate higher oceanic Sr/Ca relative to today at 5.6 and 9.4 Ma.
Leukotrienes B4, C4 and D4 stimulate DNA synthesis in cultured human epidermal keratinocytes.

SUMMARY Leukotrienes in psoriatic skin lesions are potent mediators of inflammation. We have studied the capacity of leukotrienes to stimulate the DNA synthesis of cultured human epidermal keratinocytes. At concentrations ranging from 10 ^^ to 10" M, LTB4 produced a ioo"n increase of DNA synthesis determined both as the incorporation of ['H] thymidine and as the labelling index. In comparison, LTB4 had no effect on the DNA synthesis of dermal fibroblast cultures. 5S,i2S-LTB4 and 5S,i2S-all-trans-LTB4 did not change the DNA synthesis of keratinocytes, but the effeet of LTB4 was abolished in the presence of 5S,12S-all-ira«,?HLTB4. Being less potent than LTB4 the peptidoleukotrienes (LTC43 LTD4) also stimulated keratinocyte DNA synthesis. The effect of the peptidoleukotrienes, but not of LTB4, was antagonized by FPL 55712. These results show that leukotrienes B4, C4 and D4 exert potent and stereospecifie mitogenic effects on cultured human keratinocytes. The presence of these arachidonic acid metabolites in psoriatic skin lesions may be pertinent to both inflammation and aberrant epidermal growth in psoriasis.
Stable chromatin binding prevents FoxA acetylation, preserving FoxA chromatin remodeling

FoxA1–3 (formerly HNF3α, -β, and -γ), members of the FoxA subfamily of forkhead transcription factors, function as initial chromatin-binding and chromatin-remodeling factors in a variety of tissues, including liver and pancreas. Despite essential roles in development and metabolism, regulation of FoxA factors is not well understood. This study examines a potential role for acetylation in the regulation of FoxA chromatin binding and remodeling. Using in silico analysis, we have identified 11 putative p300 acetylation sites within FoxA1, five of which are located within wings 1 and 2 of its winged-helix DNA-binding domain. These polypeptide structures stabilize FoxA DNA and chromatin binding, and we have demonstrated that acetylation attenuates FoxA binding to DNA and diminishes its ability to remodel chromatin. FoxA acetylation is inhibited by chromatin binding. We propose a model whereby stable chromatin binding protects the FoxA DNA-binding domain from acetylation to preserve chromatin binding and remodeling by FoxA factors in the absence of extracellular cues.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN

African American women are reported to be less physically active than other population groups. This study examined personal behavioral and psychosocial and environmental factors associated with physical activity in African American women living at or below poverty. Most participants engaged in some moderate physical activity through housework and child care; 71% engaged in activity such as walking from one to seven times per week; but only 5% were vigorously active. Seventy-seven percent were active in the past, but 80% dropped out within 6 months, citing "lack of time and feeling bad" as the main reasons. Exercise self-efficacy was positively correlated with beliefs about physical and social outcomes of activity, with more active than inactive women believing that physical activity had more physical health outcomes. One-third of the women reported that family or friends disapproved of their spending time being physically active, and 45% had never been encouraged to be active by a health professional. However, health professionals' influence was positively correlated with weight reduction but not physical activity participation.
Second condition for the pseudo-Brewster angle of highly absorbing media

An approximate but accurate second condition for the pseudo-Brewster angle ϕPB, valid in a range of n and k values, that has the advantage of replacing the well-known cubic equation for cot2ϕPB by a quadratic equation for sin2ϕPB is derived. It is also found that the optical constants of most semiconductors in the visible and near-ultraviolet ranges lie within the region of applicability of this second pseudo-Brewster-angle condition.
Food Chains in Freshwaters

There are three hypothesized controls on food-chain length (FCL): energy supply (or “resource availability”), ecosystem size and disturbance (or “environmental variation”). In this article, the evidence for controls on FCL in freshwater ecosystems is evaluated. First, the various ways FCL can be measured are defined. Food-chain length typically is estimated as (1) connectance-based FCL—an average connectance between basal resources and top consumers, (2) functional FCL—by experimental determination of functionally significant effects of a top predator on lower trophic-level biomass patterns, and (3) realized FCL—an average connectance measure weighted by energy flow between basal consumers and the consumer occupying the maximum trophic position in the food web. Second, all evidence for relationships between the three hypothetical controls and FCL in freshwater ecosystems are evaluated. The review includes studies from streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands, phytotelmata, and experimental containers. Surprisingly, few studies of FCL in freshwaters that test the same suite of controls using the same methods are found. Equally compelling results arise from case studies based on functional, realized, and connectance-based measures of FCL. Third, 10 rules of thumb that could increase similarity of future studies, thereby facilitating synthesis across systems, are suggested. Fourth, it is discussed how FCL influences the concentration of contaminants in large-bodied animals (many of which are consumed by humans) as well as the efficacy of biocontrol applications in agriculture. Finally, there is a discussion of the potential relationships between global climate change, hydrology, and FCL in freshwaters.
Fire and high buildings

The time necessary to evacuate today’s high-rise buildings in a fire emergency is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of the development of untenable smoke conditions. The Division of Building Research has been working on the problem for several years and suggests several approaches to controlling smoke movement in buildings.
Of Grouse and Golden Eggs: Can Ecosystems Be Managed Within a Species-Based Regulatory Framework?

Declining greater sage-grouse populations are causing concern for the future of this species across the western United States. Major ecosystem issues, including exotic annual grass invasion and conifer encroachment, threaten vast acreages of sagebrush rangeland and are primary threats to sage-grouse. We discuss types of problems facing sage-grouse habitat and argue that complex ecosystem problems may be difficult to address under the Endangered Species Act as currently applied. Some problems, such as anthropogenic development, can be effectively regulated to produce a desired outcome. Other problems that are complex and involve disruption of ecosystem processes cannot be effectively regulated and require ongoing commitment to adaptive management. We believe that historical inertia of the regulatory paradigm is sufficient to skew management toward regulatory mechanisms, even though complex ecosystem problems impact large portions of the sage-grouse range. To overcome this situation, we suggest that the regulatory approach embodied in the Endangered Species Act be expanded to include promoting management trajectories needed to address complex ecosystem problems. This process should begin with state-and-transition models as the basis for a conceptual framework that outlines potential plant communities, their value as sage-grouse habitat, and their ecological status. Desired management trajectories are defined by maintenance of an ecologically resilient state that is of value as sage-grouse habitat, or movement from a less desired to a more desired state. Addressing complex ecosystem problems will involve shifting conservation roles. Under the regulatory approach, programmatic scales define regulatory policies, and local scales focus on implementing those policies. With complex ecosystem problems, programmatic scales empower local conservationists to make decisions necessary to adaptively manage problems. Putting ecosystem management on par with traditional regulatory actions honors obligations to provide regulatory protections while maintaining the capacity of the ecosystem to produce habitat and greatly expands the diversity of stakeholders willing to participate in sage-grouse conservation.
Proton conduction in materials comprising conducting domains with widths less than 6 nm

We review the literature on proton conductivity and water uptake of composite polymer electrolyte membranes comprising bicontinuous hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains with well-controlled geometries. Both quantities appear to be enhanced when the width of the hydrophilic channels is smaller than 6 nm.
The Blade Runner: The Discourses Surrounding Oscar Pistorius in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics

In 2012, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius became the first double amputee to compete in both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. Using the theoretical notions of framing and hegemony, this ...
Milestones in genetics of structural skin disorders.

Heritable skin diseases consist of a group of conditions in which the cutaneous findings can be relatively minor at one end of the spectrum, whereas at the other end the cutaneous manifestations—often part of multisystem pathology—can cause significant morbidity and untimely demise of the affected individuals (Uitto et al., 2012). Tremendous progress has been made in the past two decades in molecular genetics of heritable skin diseases, and candidate genes and pathogenic mutations have been identified in as many as 500 different genes in a manner that the genetic lesions explain the cutaneous manifestations (Feramisco et al., 2009). Examination of the mutation databases in different diseases has revealed both obvious candidate genes and a number of surprises, but nevertheless the identification of the mutant genes has been very helpful in providing increased understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of these conditions. Many of these diseases could be characterized as metabolic disorders with cellular perturbations, or characterized as multisystem diseases with structural defects. Identification of the mutated genes and specific underlying mutations has been instructive not only in providing information of the molecular basis of the disease but also providing critical understanding of the pathophysiologic role of structural components and specific proteins in normal skin. Particularly instructive have been those diseases affecting the structural components of the skin. This series of milestones articles deals with genetic disorders with cutaneous manifestations affecting primarily the structural components of the skin. These include identification of defects in the cutaneous basement membrane zone in epidermolysis bullosa (Milestone 1), and the role of collagen and elastic fibers in providing physiologic properties to the dermis, as exemplified by the Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, cutis laxa, and pseudoxanthoma elasticum (Milestones 2–4). Heritable filaggrin disorders, with atopic dermatitis as the paradigm, have provided critical information on the role of epidermal barrier function under physiologic conditions (Milestone 5), and dissecting the genetics of structural hair disorders has been highly instructive in understanding the growth and maintenance of normal hair (Milestone 6). In a broader sense, development of the next-generation diagnostics (Milestone 7) and molecular therapeutics (Milestone 8) for these disorders is the next step to build improved diagnosis and treatment of these, currently often intractable, disorders.
The Roles of Cbl-b and c-Cbl in Insulin-stimulated Glucose Transport *

Previous studies suggest that the stimulation of glucose transport by insulin involves the tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Cbl and the translocation of the c-Cbl/CAP complex to lipid raft subdomains of the plasma membrane. We now demonstrate that Cbl-b also undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation and membrane translocation in response to insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Ectopic expression of APS facilitated insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of tyrosines 665 and 709 in Cbl-b. The phosphorylation of APS produced by insulin drove the translocation of both c-Cbl and Cbl-b to the plasma membrane. Like c-Cbl, Cbl-b associates constitutively with CAP and interacts with Crk upon insulin stimulation. Cbl proteins formed homo- and heterodimers in vivo, which required the participation of a conserved leucine zipper domain. A Cbl mutant incapable of dimerization failed to interact with APS and to undergo tyrosine phosphorylation in response to insulin, indicating an essential role of Cbl dimerization in these processes. Thus, both c-Cbl and Cbl-b can initiate a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B-independent signaling pathway critical to insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation.
Cardiovascular Risk in the Old Order Amish

Cardiovascular disease is a heterogeneous disease caused by the interaction of multiple pathologies affecting various systems, genetic predisposition, and environmental factors. Recently, novel “non-classic” risk factors have been recognized to play, together with well-characterized risk factors, a role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. The heterogeneity of causative factors makes identifying the genetic background along with the contribution of environmental influences on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease a major challenge. The Old Order Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a close founder population with a very traditional and uniform lifestyle and well-traceable genealogy, is a unique and valuable source of information with respect to the genetic contribution of risk factors that potentially lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. In this review, the major findings from studies of the Old Order Amish are described along with the relevance of these findings to larger population groups.
A tethering coherent protein in autophagosome maturation

Autophagy is a cellular pathway that degrades damaged organelles, cytosol and microorganisms, thereby maintaining human health by preventing various diseases including cancers, neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes. In autophagy, autophagosomes carrying cellular cargoes fuse with lysosomes for degradation. The proper autophagosome-lysosome fusion is pivotal for efficient autophagy activity. However, the molecular mechanism that specifically directs the fusion process is not clear. Our study reported that lysosome-localized TECPR1 (TECtonin β-Propeller Repeat containing 1) binds the autophagosome-localized ATG12-ATG5 conjugate and recruits it to autolysosomes. TECPR1 also binds PtdIns3P in an ATG12-ATG5-dependent manner. Consequently, depletion of TECPR1 leads to a severe defect in autophagosome maturation. We propose that the interaction between TECPR1 and ATG12-ATG5 initiates the fusion between the autophagosome and lysosome, and TECPR1 is a TEthering Coherent PRotein in autophagosome maturation.
The effects of delayed auditory feedback on the overt behaviors of stutterers

Abstract This study investigated the differential effect of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) upon general (e.g., repetitions) and specific (e.g., repetitions of initial, medial, and final syllables) overt types of dysfluent behaviors. Ten moderate to severe stutterers performed an oral reading task under both NDAF and DAF (200 msec). DAF resulted in a significant increase in the total number of dysfluencies but had a differential effect upon certain general and specific behaviors. Blocks decreased significantly, prolongations increased significantly, and repetitions and interjections did not change significantly in frequency of occurence. To a limited extent, DAF had a differential effect on specific behaviors. All specific prolongation behaviors increased significantly while only one specific block behavior (ddelays in starting words) decreased. The authors discuss these results in terms of the vocal changes that occurred under DAF and speculate as to their importance in establishing fluency. DAF is viewed as promoting prolongations and prolongations are viewed as inhibiting excessive stoppages of the breathstream, thus promoting fluency (e.g., delays in starting words).
Hand Motion Gesture Frequency Properties and Multimodal Discourse Analysis

Gesture and speech are co-expressive and complementary channels of a single human language system. While speech carries the major load of symbolic presentation, gesture provides the imagistic content. We investigate the role of oscillatory/cyclical hand motions in `carrying' this image content. We present our work on the extraction of hand motion oscillation frequencies of gestures that accompany speech. The key challenges are that such motions are characterized by non-stationary oscillations, and multiple frequencies may be simultaneously extant. Also, the duration of the oscillations may be extended over very few cycles. We apply the windowed Fourier transform and wavelet transform to detect and extract gesticulatory oscillations. We tested these against synthetic signals (stationary and non-stationary) and real data sequences of gesticulatory hand movements in natural discourse. Our results show that both filters functioned well for the synthetic signals. For the real data, the wavelet bandpass filter bank is better for detecting and extracting hand gesture oscillations. We relate the hand motion oscillatory gestures detected by wavelet analysis to speech in natural conversation and apply to multimodal language analysis. We demonstrate the ability of our algorithm to extract gesticulatory oscillations and show how oscillatory gestures reveal portions of the multimodal discourse structure.
Association between Helicobacter felis—Induced Gastritis and Elevated Glycated Hemoglobin Levels in a Mouse Model of Type 1 Diabetes

Helicobacter pylori infection has been described in association with increases in glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) levels in patients with type 1 diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to use an animal model of Helicobacter infection to test, under controlled conditions, the hypothesis that infection is associated with high HbA 1c levels. Diabetes was induced in C57BL/6 mice by administration of streptozotocin, and the mice were orally inoculated with H. felis. Six weeks after inoculation, infected mice (n = 10) showed gastritis scores significantly greater (P = 01) than those of uninfected mice (n = 10). HbA 1c levels were significantly higher in infected mice with gastritis (11.6%; n = 6) than in infected mice without gastritis (8.4%; n = 4) or uninfected mice (7.6%; n = 10). It was concluded that gastritis induced by H. felis is associated with increased HbA 1c levels in the mouse model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
Antioxidant properties of tomato lipids

Highly active antioxidants for lard were extracted from dried tomato fruits with petroleum ether. When added to fresh lard, the tomato lipids protected against autoxidation at 100°C. for long periods with little accumulation of peroxides during the induction period. When added at a 2% level to actively oxidizing lard (peroxide values 20 to 130), the tomato lipids effected a rapid drop of approximately 25% in titrable peroxides. When added at a level of 8%, this immediate drop was followed by a second, more gradual, drop to a constant low value (ca. 5), which was maintained for a long period at 100°C.
Use of rat primary lung cells for studying genotoxicity with the sister-chromatid exchange and micronucleus assays.

Abstract Primary culture of lung cells from CD rats was established for pulmonary genotoxicity studies using two genetic endpoints, sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) and micronucleus formation (MN). In the cell isolation study, a combined enzyme separation of rat lungs with trypsin (1.3 mg/ml) plus collagenase (50 U/ml) gave the highest yield of viable and colony-forming cells. For the MN assay, the cytokinesis block induced by cytochalasin B (CYB) was employed to enumerate MN in binucleated (BN) cells. Treatment of primary lung cells with 2 μg CYB/ml for two days appeared to be optimal for scoring micronuclei in CYB-induced BN cells. By this procedure, mitomycin C(MMC), triethylenemelamine, and benzo[ a ]pyrene caused a dose-related increase in micronucleated BN cells in vitro without metabolic activation. In the SCE assay, maximum second-division metaphases were obtained after cells were incubated with bromodeoxyuridine for 48–54 h. After this incubation time, high frequencies of SCE induced by MMC and 3-methylcholanthrene after in vitro exposure (without S9 activation) or in vivo exposure were observed. The results indicate that rat primary lung cells can metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and that this lung cell system is potentially useful for the detection of pulmonary genotoxicants.
Structural Properties of Boron-Doped Germanium-Tin Alloys Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Boron-doped Ge1−x Sn x alloys with atomic fractions of tin up to x = 0.08 were grown on n-Ge(001) substrates using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy, in order to study their structural properties. The total boron concentration in the alloys was ~ 1018 cm−3 as measured by secondary-ion mass spectroscopy, which also indicated low amounts of impurities such as carbon and oxygen. More than 90% of the Sn atoms occupied substitutional lattice sites in the alloy as determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. High-resolution x-ray diffraction showed that the boron-doped Ge1−x Sn x alloys were single crystals that were completely strained with low defect densities and coherent interfaces for thickness up to 90 nm, and for Sn composition of 8%. The boron-doped Ge1−x Sn x /n-Ge formed p–n junctions with conventional rectifying characteristics, indicating that the boron produced electrically active acceptor states.
Physicians' emotional reactions to patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine which circumstances and behaviors of patients elicit the greatest emotional reactions in experienced internists. A questionnaire, generated from interviews with physicians, was mailed to every other board-certified internist in St. Louis. They rated their “degree of emotion” in response to each of 33 statements about different patient behaviors or circumstances. Questionnaires were returned by 59 (22%) of 265 physicians. The mean respondent age was 50 years and the mean year of medical school graduation was 1960. The 11 statements rated as having the highest degree of emotional reaction focused upon threats to physician integrity or self-esteem. The intermediately rated group of 11 statements focused upon clinical circumstances where patients were demanding or upset, creating undue demands on the physician. The 11 statements with the lowest rated emotional responses focused upon patient circumstances that were more objectively unalterable or were independent of the physician. With physicians divided in four groups by year of graduation, there were no differences among mean ratings for any of the 33 statements. The authors conclude that the greatest emotional reaction resulted from threats to physician integrity or self-esteem and that these responses did not abate with experience. These results pinpoint specific areas for those interested in teaching and studying the physician-patient relationship.
Three‐dimensional reconstruction of cerebral vasculature from limited digital subtraction angiographic projections

An integrated approach is developed for three-dimensional (3D) cone beam reconstruction of cerebral vasculature (both morphology and gray scale) from a limited number (4–6) of digital subtraction angiographic (DSA) projections, obtained using a standard biplane C-arm x-ray system, using the Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART) with non-negativity constraint. The accuracy of ART is improved by determining weights based on the intersection volume between a pyramidal ray and cubic voxel. The input data are segmented and corrected for spatial image distortion. The reconstruction (volume 512 3 ) is accelerated by retaining only the voxels containing vasculature (masking), multiscaling, and partitioning the algorithm to run in parallel. Problems in using ART are evaluated. Limited view reconstruction is demonstrated to be unstable. In addition, errors arising from geometric uncertainty, noise, and partial voluming are assessed with simulations. Corrective measures in reconstructions are described and demonstrated with experimental data. Reconstruction of a phantom containing fiducial markers at known locations demonstrated that the reconstructed geometry is accurate to less than a pixel width (0.23 mm). The reconstruction algorithm with corrective measures is tested using a thin wire phantom, and anatomic skull phantom, a human carotid artery, and human cerebral vasculature with an aneurysm. The use of weight norm cutoff and averaging ART for different terminal conditions is found to be effective. The reconstruction results are also validated with reprojections of the 3D reconstructions.