cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin Sensitivity and Regional Fat Gain in Response to Overfeeding

Although insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are associated with upper body fat distribution, it is unknown whether insulin resistance predisposes to upper body fat gain or whether upper body fat gain causes insulin resistance. Our objective was to determine whether insulin sensitivity predicts abdominal (subcutaneous and/or visceral) fat gain in normal weight adults. Twenty-eight (15 men) lean (BMI = 22.1 ± 2.5 kg/m(2)), healthy adults underwent ~8 weeks of overfeeding to gain ~4 kg fat. Body composition was assessed before and after overfeeding, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and abdominal computed tomography to measure total and regional (visceral, abdominal, and lower body subcutaneous) fat gain. We assessed insulin sensitivity with an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and the 24-h insulin area under the curve (AUC). We found a wide range of insulin sensitivity and a relatively narrow range of body fat distribution in this normal weight cohort. Participants gained 3.8 ± 1.7 kg of body fat (4.6 ± 2.2 kg body weight). The baseline 24-h AUC of insulin concentration was positively correlated with percent body fat (r = 0.43, P < 0.05). The contribution of leg fat gain to total fat gain ranged from 29 to 79%, whereas the contributions of abdominal subcutaneous fat and visceral fat gain to total fat gain ranged from 17 to 69% and -5 to 22%, respectively. Baseline insulin sensitivity, whether measured by an IVGTT (S(i)) or the 24-h AUC insulin, did not predict upper body subcutaneous or visceral fat gain in response to overfeeding. We conclude that reduced insulin sensitivity is not an obligate precursor to upper body fat gain.
Visual tuning of controllers

Controller tuning, whether proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) or other controllers typically involve two starting points: the identification of a direct or indirect model of the dynamic system and the desired response for the closed-loop system. Controllers are then designed or tuned for the PID controller so that the desired closed-loop response is achieved. If one wished to explore a range of performance criteria, a new solution would be needed. A tool that could, using visualisation technology, provide a range of solutions under differing criteria would have value in providing the user a convenient way of exploring multiple solutions. We present a method performance map (PM), designed to visualize the behaviour of a systems dynamic performance across variations in system parameters. The resulting visualization is colour-coded, providing an immediate wealth of information to the knowledgeable viewer.
Minimum origin requirements for linear duplex AAV DNA replication in vitro

We have investigated the minimal requirements for a functional origin of DNA replication in an in vitro assay which requires the adeno-associated virus (AAV) Rep 68/78 protein. When a linear duplex template was used, initiation of one round of DNA replication was achieved when nucleotides 1-56 of the AAV inverted terminal repeat (in the flop orientation) were present at the terminus of the template. A terminal resolution site was not required. Deletion of an additional 11 nucleotides from the terminal repeat blocked the reaction.
Wireless non-contact biopotential electrodes

Ubiquitous physiological monitoring will be a key driving force in the upcoming wireless health revolution. Cardiac and brain signals in the form of ECG and EEG are two critical health indicators that directly benefit from long-term monitoring. Despite advancements in wireless technology and electronics miniaturization, however, the use of wireless home ECG/EEG monitoring is still limited by the inconvenience and discomfort of wet adhesive electrodes.We have developed a wireless biopotential instrumentation system using non-contact capacitive electrodes that operate without skin contact. The compact, battery-powered, wireless system accepts inputs from both standard Ag/AgCl electrodes and non-contact sensors and provides live telemetry to a laptop computer. We will demonstrate the interactive, prototype ECG/EEG system for acquiring cardiac and brain signals quickly and through clothing.
Effect of amphetamine and cocaine on seizure in lead treated mice

Abstract Mice, genetically selected for differences in brain weight were employed. Lead administration (0.5% lead acetate) from conception increased the proportion of 21 day old mice exhibiting seizures; total duration of observed seizures was also increased. Mice from the low brain weight line more frequently exhibited seizures than either mice from the high brain weight line or the Binghamton heterogenous stock. Although genome and lead administration alter bodyweight, the inability of bodyweight to predict seizure occurence and/or total duration of seizure within conditions also ws noted. Lead administration from conception through testing increased the probability and duration of transcorneally induced electroconvulsive seizures of 21 day old mice within all three genotypes, and both cocaine and amphetamine injections 15 min prior to ECS reduced the number of animals exhibiting seizures as well as the duration of seizures in both lead treated and control mice.
Photodissociation of t-butyl nitrite on Ag(111): rotational and electronic-state distributions of the NO (X2Π) photofragments

The 248 nm photodissociation of t-butyl nitrite adsorbed on Ag( 111) leads to ejection of three categories of translationally and rotationally excited NO. The translational and rotational energies are correlated. The slowest NO is characterized by a Boltzmann distribution of low-J states with a temperature close to that of the substrate. The fastest NO is characterized by a narrow non-thermal Gaussian distribution of high-J states, peaking at J=54.5±1. Between these two lies a broad range of intermediate-speed and intermediate-J-state NO molecules. The fastest category is attributed to collisionless ejection of NO, the slowest category to NO that is momentarily captured and fully thermalized, and the intermediate category is NO partially relaxed through collisions with surrounding species. The relative contributions to the three categories vary with coverage, reflecting changes in adsorbate orientation and the composition of the local environment. The intensity of the collisionless component does not reach saturation at 40 monolayers (ML), the intermediate component saturates at 5 ML, and the thermalized component maximizes at 10 ML and then decreases by ∼ 30% before saturating at 15 ML. The spin-orbit population ratio, n(F 1 )/n(F 2 ), of NO is close to unity for collisionless trajectories and increases to 3.9 for thermalized trajectories.
Size and distribution of movement fields in the monkey superior colliculus

A gradient of response magnitude was observed across the movement fields (the range of eye movements which alter the discharge frequency of a nueron) of neurons in the intermediate and deeper layers of the superior colliculus. A vigorous discharge preceded movements with a particular direction and amplitude but reduced responses preceded movements which deviated from this direction and/or amplitude. Movement field size is a function of the amplitude of the optimal movement. Neurons discharging prior to small saccades have small and sharply tuned fields. Neurons discharging prior to large saccades have large movement fields and tuning is relatively coarse. Movement fields are topographically organized within the superior colliculus. Neurons discharging prior to small saccades are located anteriorly; neurons firing before large saccades are found caudally. Neurons near the midline discharge prior to up movements and neurons located laterally fire before downward movements. Movement fields of superior colliculus neurons are also characterized by a temporal gradient. The interval between spike discharge and the onset of a saccade is greater for movements near the center of the movement field than for movements to the periphery of the field. Results are interpreted as supporting the foveation hypothesis of superior colliculus function. It is suggested that precise saccadic movements are not produced by the discharge of a small population of finely tuned neurons but result from the weighted sum of the simultaneous movement tendencies produced by the activity of a large population of less finely tuned neurons.
Sterically encumbered (perfluoroaryl) borane and aluminate cocatalysts for tuning cation - Anion ion pair structure and reactivity in metallocene polymerization processes. A synthetic, structural, and polymerization study

The synthesis and dialkyl abstraction chemistry as well as the unusual cocatalytic characteristics in metallocene-mediated polymerization of two distinctive borane and aluminate cocatalysts tris(2,2‘,2‘‘-nonafluorobiphenyl)borane (PBB) and triphenyl carbenium tris(2,2‘,2‘‘-nonafluorobiphenyl)fluoroaluminate, (Ph3C+PBA-) are reported. Reaction of PBB with Cp‘2ThMe2 (Cp‘ = η5-C5Me5), CGCZrMe2 (CGC = Me2Si(η5-Me4C5)(tBuN)), and Cp‘MMe3 (M = Zr, Hf) cleanly affords base-free cationic complexes Cp‘2ThMe+MePBB- (1), CGCZrMe+MePBB- (5), and Cp‘MMe2+MePBB- (M = Zr, 7; Hf, 8). In case of CGCTiMe2 and dimethyl zirconocenes, μ-methyl dinuclear cationic complexes [(CGCTiMe)2(μ-Me)]+MePBB- (6) and [(L2ZrMe)2(μ-Me)]+MePBB- (L = η5-C5H5 (Cp), 2; η5-1,2-Me2C5H3 (Cp‘‘), 3; Cp‘, 4; L2 = Me2Si(Ind)2, Ind = η5-C9H6, 9; L2 = Me2C(Flu)(Cp), Flu = η5-C13H8, 10) are formed. A similar reaction with Ph3C+PBA- results in the corresponding complexes CGCZrCH3+PBA- (M = Zr, 19; Ti, 20) and L2ZrCH3+PBA- (L = Cp, 15b; Cp‘‘, 16; η5-1,3-(...
Activation of matrix metalloproteinase dilates and decreases cardiac tensile strength

Previous studies demonstrated that transition from compensatory pressure overload hypertrophy to decompensatory volume overload heart failure is associated with decreased cardiac tensile strength and activation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). To test the hypothesis that in the absence of nitric oxide activation of MMP during cardiac failure causes disruption in the organization of extracellular matrix (ECM) and leads to decrease systolic and diastolic cardiac tensile strength, we employed SHR of 24--32 weeks, which demonstrates significant cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. The normotensive Wistar rats (NWR) were used as control. To determine whether cardiac hypertrophy is associated with increased elastinolytic matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity; quantitative elastin-zymography was performed on cardiac tissue homogenates. The MMP-2 activity was normalized by the levels of actin. The MMP-2/actin ratio was 2.0+/-0.5 in left ventricle (LV) and 1.5+/-0.25 in right ventricle (RV) of SHR(32wks); and 0.5+/-0.25 in LV and 0.25+/-0.12 in RV of NWR(32wks) (P<0.02 when SHR compared with NWR). To measure passive diastolic cardiac function, rings from LV as well as RV through transmyocardial wall from male SHR and NWR of 6--8 weeks and 24--36 weeks were prepared. The LV wall thickness from endocardium to epicardium was 3.75+/-0.25 mm in SHR(32wks) as compared to 2.25+/-0.50 mm in NWR(32wks) (P<0.01). The ring was placed in tissue myobath and length--tension relationships were assessed. The pressure--length relationship was shifted to left in SHR as compared to NWR. The amounts of cardiac elastin and collagen were determined spectrophotometrically by measuring desmosine--isodesmosine and hydroxyproline contents, respectively. A negative correlation between elastic tensile strength and elastin/collagen ratio was elucidated. To create situation analogous to heart failure and MMP activation, we treated cardiac rings with active MMP-2 and length--tension relation was measured. The relationship was shifted to right in both SHR and NWR when compared to their respective untreated groups. The results suggested that activation of MMP led to decreased cardiac tissue tensile strength and may cause systolic and diastolic dysfunction.
On uncertainty in the computation of global emissions from biomass burning

Estimation of global atmospheric emissions from biomass burning has used a variety of procedures, most of which involve chain multiplication. The terms in the chain of inference are often poorly quantified, and in many cases there is reason to suspect bias and intercorrelation between terms. The leading estimates appear to have been conservative; however, uncertainty explodes when imprecisely known (coefficient of variation >0.3) terms are multiplied. Thus little confidence can be had in the precision of current best estimates. The situation can be improved through a combination of spatial disaggregation and process-oriented modeling.
Diluents for Bovine Semen. XII. Fertility and Motility of Spermatozoa in Skimmilk with Various Levels of Glycerol and Methods of Glycerolization

Summary Laboratory studies showed that the beneficial effect of glycerol on the maintenance of sperm motility in skimmilk diluent during 5 C storage was related both to level and method of glycerol addition. Optimum livability was obtained with 5% glycerol and when the glycerol-containing fraction was added stepwise to the partially diluted semen at 5 C. Direct addition of semen to completely formulated skimmilk-13% glycerol diluent at room temperature significantly reduced sperm livability as compared to that in partially diluted semen glycerolated in a stepwise fashion at 5 C. Even when glycerol level in the complete diluent was lowered from 13 to 5%, and the semen added at room temperature, livability during 14 days of storage was slightly better in the skimmilk-13% glycerol control samples glycerolated stepwise at 5 C. Dilution at room temperature into completely formulated skimmilk-glycerol diluents containing more than 5% glycerol also resulted in abnormal sperm motility (circular or backward movement). In skimmilk-glycerol diluents containing 5, 10, and 20% glycerol, livability was superior (P
Performing Gender: A Content Analysis of Gender Display in Music Videos

This study investigated differences in gender display by male and female performers in music videos. Goffman’s (1976) conceptual framework of gender display was refined and expanded upon as a basis for analyzing 12 nonverbal displays associated with subordination, domination, sexuality, and aggression in music videos by an equal number of male and female lead performers. 34 music videos on U.S. cable stations MTV and MTV2 were divided into 30-second segments, resulting in 253 units that were coded for gender display. Findings revealed that significant gender displays primarily reinforced stereotypical notions of women as sexual objects, and to a lesser degree, females as subordinate and males as aggressive. Implications of music videos’ portrayal of stereotypical gender displays and their role in the construction and maintenance of the gender status quo are discussed.
Myeloblastoma of the brain.

Two patients developed intraparenchymal myeloblastomas (granulocytic sarcomas) of the brain. One patient with acute myelogenous leukemia in hematological remission had multiple myeloblastomas in the cerebrum and thalamus. The second patient, who had Philadelphia-chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia, developed a solitary lesion of the cerebrum without systemic evidence of blastic transformation of leukemia. By light microscopy, each biopsy specimen revealed a tendency for the malignant cells to appear in perivascular locations, and the presence of cytoplasmic naphthol ASD chloroacetate esterase activity in some cells. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated the presence of primary granule-like lysosomal structures in these cells, confirming their granulocytic origin. The lack of continuity of the myeloblastomas with the dura mater and the perivascular clusters of blast cells suggest that the pathogenesis of these lesions in the present cases could best be accounted for the direct, hematogenous spread of mitotically competent leukemic cells to brain parenchyma.
Tritium handling, breeding, and containment in two conceptual fusion reactor designs: UWMAK-II and UWMAK-III

Abstract Tritium is an essential component of near-term controlled thermonuclear reactor systems. Since tritium is not likely to be available on a large scale at a modest cost, fusion reactor designs must incorporate blanket systems which will be capable of breeding tritium. Because of the radiological activity and capability of assimilation into living tissues, tritium release to the environment must be strictly controlled. The University of Wisconsin has completed three conceptual designs of fusion reactors, UWMAK-I, UWMAK-II, and UWMAK-III. This report discusses the tritium systems for UWMAK-II, a reactor design with a helium cooled solid breeder blanket, and UWMAK-III, a reactor design with a high-temperature liquid breeder blanket. Tritium systems for fueling and recycling, breeding and recovery, and plant containment and control are discussed.
Brine percolation and the transport properties of sea ice

Sea ice is distinguished from many other porous composites, such as sandstones or bone, in that its microstructure and bulk material properties can vary dramatically over a small temperature range. For brine-volume fractions below a critical value of about 5%, which corresponds to a critical temperature of about −5°C for salinity of 5 ppt, columnar sea ice is effectively impermeable to fluid transport. For higher brine volumes, the brine phase becomes connected and the sea ice is permeable, allowing transport of brine, sea water, nutrients, biomass and heat through the ice. Over the past several years it has been found that brine transport is fundamental to such processes as sea-ice production through freezing of flooded ice surfaces, the enhancement of thermal and salt fluxes through sea ice, nutrient replenishment for sea-ice algal communities, and to sea-ice remote sensing. Motivated by these observations, recently we have shown how percolation theory can be used to understand the critical behavior of fluid transport in sea ice. We applied a percolation model developed for compressed powders of large polymer particles with much smaller metal particles, which explains the observed behavior of the fluid permeability in the critical temperature regime, as well as Antarctic data on surface flooding and algal growth rates. Moreover, the connectedness properties of the brine phase play a significant role in the microwave signature of sea ice through its effective complex permittivity and surface flooding. Here we review our recent results on brine percolation and its role in understanding the fluid and electromagnetic transport properties of sea ice. We also briefly report on measurements of percolation we made on first-year sea ice during the winter 1999 Mertz Glacier Polynya Experiment.
The unintended consequences of quality improvement.

Purpose of reviewThe focus on quality improvement has led to several types of initiatives in pediatric care; however, these programs may lead to potential unintended consequences.Recent findingsUnintended consequences of quality improvement programs that have been described are reviewed. Unintended
Effect of dehydration on dicarboxylic acid coordination at goethite/water interface

Abstract The adsorption of dicarboxylic acids by goethite at different pH conditions was investigated using in situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and ex situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. Adsorption of dicarboxylic acids (succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, and azelaic acid) was the highest at pH 4 as compared with those at pH 7 and 9. The aliphatic chain length of the dicarboxylic acids greatly influenced the sorption amount at acidic pH: succinic acid [HOOC(CH 2 ) 2 COOH] 2 ) 3 COOH] 2 ) 4 COOH] 2 ) 7 COOH]. With in situ ATR-FTIR analysis, wet samples tend to have outer-sphere adsorption at all tested pHs. However, inner-sphere coordination between the carboxyl groups and goethite surface is dominant for freeze-dried complex samples with DRIFT analysis. The adsorption types, inner- or outer-sphere, depend on dicarboxylic acid species, pH, and solvent conditions (dry vs. wet). From the experimental data, we suggest that organic acids in an aqueous environment prefer to adsorb onto goethite by outer-sphere interaction, but inner-sphere complexation is favored under dry conditions. Thus, organic acids binding onto clay minerals under dry conditions are stronger than that under wet conditions, and we expect different conformations and aggregations of adsorbed organic acids as influenced by complexation types. In the environment, natural organic matter (NOM) may adsorb predominantly on positive charged mineral surfaces at the aqueous interface, which can convert onto inner-sphere coordination during dehydration. The stable NOM/mineral complexes formed by frequent wetting–drying cycles in nature may resist chemical/microbial degradation of the NOM, which will affect carbon storage in the environment and influence the sorption of organic contaminants.
Modeling of jetflow drilling with consideration of the chaotic erosion histories of particles

A general model is presented for the simulation of a drilling process by abrasive waterjet. The conventional constitutive equation for the erosion rate of a single particle penetrating into a solid target is extended and applied to millions of particle strikes, taking into consideration their erosion histories. The theoretical advancement of this model reflects the inherent damping effect that occurs as the depth of drilling increases. Particles involved in erosion are divided into categories according to their kinematic features, and their penetration performances are evaluated individually. A particle-laden jetflow with chaotic behavior, which was constructed previously by the authors, is employed to coordinate the positions of particles and describe their velocities and flow rates, including laminar and turbulent flow with the average scale. The high accuracy of the theoretical results is verified by independent experiments of drilling glass, titanium and other materials.
Dispossession by Accumulation? Mining, Water and the Nature of Enclosure on the Bolivian Altiplano

: This paper examines processes of primitive accumulation and livelihood dispossession on the Bolivian Altiplano. Through empirical examination of the social and environmental effects of mining waste, the paper demonstrates that indigenous campesino community members are experiencing livelihood dispossession by way of three interrelated forms of accumulation: accumulation of toxic sediments on agricultural fields; accumulation of water and water rights by mining firms; and accumulation of territory by mining operations. In the case under examination, full proletarianization is not taking place, and processes of dispossession are not a “fix” for an overaccumulation crisis. The paper argues for greater attention to the contingent role of nature's materiality in processes of dispossession and accumulation.
Clothing factors in energy conservation

The disadvantages of hermetically sealed office buildings have become apparent with the rise in energy prices. One solution being proposed is the development of climate-responsive architecture. This paper reports on the need for dress standards which would enhance the effectiveness of climate-responsive architecture. In a multi-method study among office employers and workers, scant awareness of the connection between dress codes and energy conservation was found. Energy policy could be aimed towards increasing awareness on how dress norms can be modified for increased climate-responsiveness, considering social as well as technological factors.
Identification and Characterization of a Transcriptional Silencer Upstream of the Human BRCA2 Gene

Expression of the breast cancer susceptibility tumor-suppressor protein BRCA2, a protein potentially involved in DNA recombination repair, is tightly regulated throughout development. We have identified a transcriptional silencer at the distal end of the human BRCA2 gene promoter. This silencer is involved in the negative regulation of the expression of this gene in breast cell lines tested but not in HeLa or HepG2 cells. The 221-base-pair silencer region is characterized by a full-length Alu-repeat. Presence of specific BRCA2 silencer-binding proteins in the breast cell extracts indicates the potential regulation of BRCA2 gene expression by these proteins.
Using Bayes’ Rule to Model Multisensory Enhancement in the Superior Colliculus

The deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC) integrate multisensory inputs and initiate an orienting response toward the source of stimulation (target). Multisensory enhancement, which occurs in the deep SC, is the augmentation of a neural response to sensory input of one modality by input of another modality. Multisensory enhancement appears to underlie the behavioral observation that an animal is more likely to orient toward weak stimuli if a stimulus of one modality is paired with a stimulus of another modality. Yet not all deep SC neurons are multisensory. Those that are exhibit the property of inverse effectiveness: combinations of weaker unimodal responses produce larger amounts of enhancement. We show that these neurophysiological findings support the hypothesis that deep SC neurons use their sensory inputs to compute the probability that a target is present. We model multimodal sensory inputs to the deep SC as random variables and cast the computation function in terms of Bayes’ rule. Our analysis suggests that multisensory deep SC neurons are those that combine unimodal inputs that would be more uncertain by themselves. It also suggests that inverse effectiveness results because the increase in target probability due to the integration of multisensory inputs is larger when the unimodal responses are weaker.
Chemotherapeutic and biologic agents as radiosensitizers in rectal cancer

Over the past 25 years, important advances have been made in the management of patients with resectable rectal cancer. Clinical studies have shown the efficacy of combined chemoradiation therapy in enhancing resectability and sphincter preservation rates, decreasing local recurrence, and improving survival of patients with rectal cancer. Although 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) remains the standard chemotherapeutic agent used concurrently with radiation therapy, newer chemotherapeutic agents including capecitabine, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin have also been studied as radiosensitizers in this setting. Novel targeted biologic agents including celecoxib and bevacizumab are being explored in combination with standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In this review, we will discuss the mechanism of action and the key clinical studies of each agent as a radiosensitizer.
Regulation of Viral and Cellular Gene Expression by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Polyadenylated Nuclear RNA

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the cause of Kaposi's sarcoma and body cavity lymphoma. In cell culture, KSHV results in a latent infection, and lytic reactivation is usually induced with the expression of K-Rta or by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA) and/or n-butyrate. Lytic infection is marked by the activation of the entire viral genomic transcription cascade and the production of infectious virus. KSHV-infected cells express a highly abundant, long, noncoding transcript referred to as polyadenylated nuclear RNA (PAN RNA). PAN RNA interacts with specific demethylases and physically binds to the KSHV genome to mediate activation of viral gene expression. A recombinant BACmid lacking the PAN RNA locus fails to express K-Rta and does not produce virus. We now show that the lack of PAN RNA expression results in the failure of the initiation of the entire KSHV transcription program. In addition to previous findings of an interaction with demethylases, we show that PAN RNA binds to protein components of Polycomb repression complex 2 (PRC2). RNA-Seq analysis using cell lines that express PAN RNA shows that transcription involving the expression of proteins involved in cell cycle, immune response, and inflammation is dysregulated. Expression of PAN RNA in various cell types results in an enhanced growth phenotype, higher cell densities, and increased survival compared to control cells. Also, PAN RNA expression mediates a decrease in the production of inflammatory cytokines. These data support a role for PAN RNA as a major global regulator of viral and cellular gene expression.
De la Casa de Salomón a la Research University

Este ensayo contempla las miserias de la vida academica en las Research Universities norteamericanas y propone un programa de regeneracion intelectual que recupere las tradiciones esclarecidas de la historia moderna de la humanidad. Asi, la distopia real de la actual vida academica se contrasta con la utopia esclarecida que Francis Bacon plantea en su Nova Atlantis. La tesis central de este ensayo es que para regenerar la vida intelectual hay que recuperar los ideales universales del esclarecimiento y generar nuevos espacios no academicos para la expresion, tanto cientifica como artistica, de una conciencia humana coherente, integra y solidaria.
Hydrolysis of glucuronide‐based substrates mediated by tungsten, Cu2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+

A variety of metal microprojectiles are currently used for carrying foreign DNA into living cells via particle-acceleration techniques. While developing a microprojectile-mediated protocol for transforming cells of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.), formation of a blue precipitate was observed with the indigoqenic substrate 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-glucuronic acid (X-gluc) in the absence of gusA DNA encoding β-D-glucuronidase (GUS). Tungsten microcarriers, but not gold or silicon carbide, proved capable of catalyzing the cleavage of the glucuronide residue from three histochemical substrates evaluated : X-gluc, salmon X-gluc and magenta X-gluc. Indigo-stained sugarbeet cells were observed following bombardment with tungsten in the absence of DNA. Addition of oxidative catalysts to tungsten microcarriers during substrate incubation had no apparent effect on the metal-mediated catalysis. Treatment of microcarriers with Proteinase K and heat ruled out the presence of enzymes. Microbiological evaluation indicated the absence of contaminating microbes. Similarly, metal-catalyzed hydrolysis of the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucuronic acid (4-MUG) was observed in the presence of tungsten spheres but not with gold or silicon carbide particles. With this substrate, hydrolysis also occurred with millimolar concentrations of Cu 2+ , Fe 2+ and Zn 2+ ions. Consequently, careful monitoring of DNA-minus controls and avoidance of millimolar concentrations of Cu 2+ , Fe 2+ and Zn 2+ ions are recommended in microprojectile bombardment experiments where transient assays for gusA expression are performed.
Pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome with upper limb shortness and radial hypoplasia

We report on a fetus with holoprosencephaly, postaxial polydactyly, multiple visceral anomalies, upper limb shortness, and radial hypoplasia with normal chromosomes. We provide a brief review of the newly delineated "pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome." Severe limb shortness of radial hypoplasia has not been described previously in this syndrome. The present case may expand the spectrum of the pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome, or may represent a distinct entity.
Response to Tryptophan of Laying Hens Fed Practical Diets Varying in Protein Concentration

Abstract Four experiments were conducted with White Leghorn laying hens to estimate their requirement for tryptophan for optimal egg production and other parameters. In the first two experiments, the hens were fed a 14.5% protein diet supplemented with 0, .025, .05 and .075% L-tryptophan. The first experiment was conducted for 12 wk and the second for 55 wk. In the third and fourth experiments, the influence of protein concentration on tryptophan requirement was investigated. Diets formulated to contain 14, 16, and 18% protein were supplemented with 0, .02, .04, .06, or .08% L-tryptophan. Protein concentration in Experiment 3 was increased by increasing only soybean meal; in Experiment 4, it was increased by increasing all protein concentrates, resulting in the same ratio of tryptophan to protein. These experiments were conducted for 6 wk. Rate of egg production was significantly improved by tryptophan supplementation in Experiments 1 and 2, but production was inferior to that expected for commercial laying hens. The estimated tryptophan requirements were .137% of the diet and 123 mg/day per hen in Experiment 1 and .118% of the diet and 95 mg/day per hen in Experiment 2. Egg production was significantly increased by adding tryptophan to the 14% protein diet in Experiment 3 but not to the higher protein diets. The estimated requirement was .164% of the diet and 168 mg/day per hen. In Experiment 4, tryptophan supplementation significantly increased egg production at all protein percentages, and the requirement increased as the protein increased. Egg weight was not significantly affected by tryptophan supplementation in any of the four experiments. Hepatic lipid accumulation was generally not decreased by tryptophan supplementation.
Effect of Longitudinal Stress Gradients on Elastic Buckling of Thin Plates

This paper analyzes the effect of longitudinal stress gradients on the elastic buckling of thin isotropic plates. Two types of thin plates are considered: (1) a plate simply supported on all four edges and rotationally restrained on two longitudinal edges; and (2) a plate simply supported on three edges with one longitudinal edge free and the opposite longitudinal edge rotationally restrained. These two cases illustrate the influence of longitudinal stress gradient on stiffened and unstiffened elements, respectively. A semianalytical method is derived and presented herein to calculate the elastic-buckling stress of both types of rectangular thin plates subjected to nonuniform applied longitudinal stresses. Finite-element analysis using ABAQUS is employed to validate the semianalytical model for plates with fixed and/or simple supports. Empirical formulas are produced to calculate the buckling coefficients of plates with fixed and/or simple supports under longitudinal stress gradients. The results help establish a better understanding of the effect of longitudinal stress gradients on the elastic buckling of thin plates and are intended to aid in the development of design provisions to include these effects in the strength prediction of thin-walled beams under moment gradients.
An improved scale model measurement facility for studying geophysical cross-borehole sensing

A scale model developed for experimentally studying cross-borehole geophysical imaging is described. The model is about 1/40 scale and operates in the 2-3 GHz region. Earth in the form of sandy loam was used and reflections from the sides and bottom were substantially reduced over those that characterized an earlier version. The electrical permittivities of the sandy loam at VHF (i.e. 50-60 MKz) and 2-3 GHz match very closely. Time domain results are included to show that reflections from the sides and the bottom of the model are minimal. Measured results using the model are discussed. Comparison with scaled numerical simulations is included. The pattern of the vertical component of the electric field, measured along a vertical path that extends above and below the target, corresponds quite well with numerical simulation results. It is anticipated that this model will prove useful as an adjunct to both theoretical and field work in subsurface exploration. >
Anuran Population Monitoring: Comparison of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program's Calling Index with Mark-Recapture Estimates for Rana clamitans

Abstract The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program uses a ranked, categorical calling index to estimate anuran abundance. However, there are few data assessing the assumption that calling index values are accurate indicators of population sizes or to suggest ranges of population sizes associated with specific values of the calling index. This study compared mark-recapture population estimates and call rates to calling index values for Green Frogs (Rana clamitans) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Mean mark-recapture population size estimates and mean calls per minute were greater in ponds with larger calling index values. Similarly, calls per minute increased with increasing population size, although rate of increase declined at high population sizes possibly caused by a higher proportion of noncalling satellite males at high densities. Sex ratios in breeding habitat along the edges of ponds were increasingly male biased as population size increased. These data support the assumption that calling ...
Fast Iterative Maximum-Likelihood Algorithm (FIMLA) for Multipath Mitigation in the Next Generation of GNSS Receivers

In this paper, we efficiently solve the maximum likelihood (ML) time-delay estimation problem for GNSS signals in a multipath environment. Exploiting the GNSS signal model structure and the spreading code periodicity, we develop an efficient implementation of the Newton iterative likelihood maximization method by finding simple analytical expressions for the first and second derivatives of the likelihood function. The proposed fast iterative ML algorithm (FIMLA) for timedelay estimation, which uses the correlation function of the received signal with its local replica, is shown to be an attractive technique for mitigation of closely-spaced multipath arrivals. For the future modernized GPS and the European Galileo signals based on binary offset carrier (BOC) waveforms, the correlation function has multiple positive and negative peaks leading to potential tracking ambiguities. Instead of the standard crosscorrelation, we propose an implementation characterized by a different choice of the local replica so as to cancel the sub-carrier phase, thus eliminating ambiguities. The asymptotic performance of FIMLA is analyzed by deriving the corresponding Cramer-Rao bound (CRB). Representative simulation examples are included to illustrate the FIMLA is performance for delay estimations in the presence of multipath for both C/A code and BOC signals.
Effects of Roxarsone on Pigmentation and Coccidiosis in Broilers

Abstract Roxarsone (0.005%) medicated chickens inoculated at seven weeks of age with Eimeria maxima oocysts had significantly higher pigment levels in blood plasma than did unmedicated controls. Unmedicated E. maxima infected birds had significantly lower pigment levels compared to uninoculated controls. Uninoculated roxarsone medicated controls showed no increase in pigment levels over uninoculated unmedicated birds. This experimental design demonstrates that the beneficial effect of roxarsone medication is due to anticoccidial action rather than an increase in pigmentation after feeding the yellow-colored roxarsone. Since uninoculated birds gained more rapidly if roxarsone (0.025%) was added to the diet, the drug also appears to stimulate growth as well as to protect against coccidial infection. In two floor-pen experiments roxarsone demonstrated anticoccidial activity as measured by higher pigment scores than unmedicated infected controls. The coccidial infection was induced after seeding the litter with oocysts from birds infected with E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. hagani, E. maxima, E. mivati, E. necatrix, E. praecox, and E. tenella. Pigmentation levels were significantly higher in plasma and skin of roxarsone medicated chickens in two experiments and in shanks in one experiment. Similar protection against depigmentation was demonstrated by adding roxarsone to feed medicated with nequinate. These results involving addition of roxarsone may explain some equivocal reports on pigmentation, weight gains or feed conversion. Some previous investigators appear to have used an inadequate experimental design by omitting use of unmedicated uninoculated controls or to have made no attempt to monitor for presence or absence of coccidiosis.
Computational fluid dynamics simulation of an anterior communicating artery ruptured during angiography

We present a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the hemodynamic environment of an anterior communicating artery that spontaneously ruptured immediately following three-dimensional rotational angiography. Subsequent digital subtraction angiography allowed for the localization of the point of rupture within the aneurysm dome. CFD analysis demonstrated a concentrated jet that impinged directly at the site of rupture. Peak systolic pressure and wall shear stress were both maximal near the rupture location.
FUTURE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES: TOWARD CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TRAINING IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

This article argues that school psychology programs must prepare future school psychologists to address the needs of our increasingly diverse society. Providing training and field experiences that are grounded in multicultural practices, research, and advocacy will foster greater competence in addressing diverse schools’, students’, and families’ needs. Following a review of relevant research on training program practices in this area, the authors identify four major program challenges to advancing culturally responsive preparation of school psychologists. These include (a) integrating multicultural perspectives within the philosophical foundation of training programs, (b) adapting multicultural approaches to reframe education and psychological theory in school psychology training, (c) defining the multicultural scope for training, and (d) articulating and implementing multicultural competencies via criteria already sanctioned by our profession through the latest National Association of School Psychologists Standards for Graduate Preparation of School Psychologists.
Processes of Sedimentation on a Lacustrine Border-Fault Margin: Interpretation of Cores from Lake Malawi, East Africa

Large lakes are attractive research sites because they provide ideal spatial scales for understanding the complex relationships between facies distributions and processes of sedimentation. In this paper, we describe deepwater facies and associated environments of deposition, based primarily on cores, from the tectonically active South Rukuru sublacustrine fan system of Lake Malawi, east Africa, where river discharge is high, offshore gradients are steep, and gravity-driven processes are common. The coring program was tied to a simultaneous seismic investigation, which is discussed in a companion paper (Soreghan et al. 1999). All facies, except the hemipelagic drape, contain widespread evidence of gravity-driven sedimentation processes, with turbidity currents being responsible for most of the sediment transport and deposition. Multiple fining-up turbidite units dominate the sandy facies of the canyons, channels, mouth-of-canyon fans, and basin-plain fill environments, and thin distal turbidites are present in cores through most of the muddier facies. Angular gravel and coarse sand are common not only throughout the canyons of the sloping relay ramp region but also as far offshore as the main axial channel and its depocenter, the basin-plain fill facies. Turbidites range in thickness from 0.25 to 2.0 m, are usually stacked, and can be recognized by well-defined Bouma sequences. A hemipelagic drape of highly laminated to structureless mud, which forms an uneven blanket over much of the lake bottom, is commonly interspersed with turbidites. Because lake levels can change rapidly as a result of climatic variations, the rate of sediment mobilization is extremely fast relative to marine systems. Vertical excursions in lake level of 100 m over only a few hundred years may lessen the distinctions between highstand and lowstand deposits. The border-fault setting allows coarse sediment to be delivered to the steep offshore, even during periods of lake high-stand. However, during periods of falling and low lake level it is likely that downcutting and erosion of highstand deltas increase the magnitude and intensity of turbidite deposition in the mouth-of-canyon fan and in the basin-plain fill environments.
DNMT1 represses p53 to maintain progenitor cell survival during pancreatic organogenesis

In the developing pancreas, self-renewal of progenitors and patterning of cell fates are coordinated to ensure the correct size and cellular makeup of the organ. How this coordination is achieved, however, is not clear. We report that deletion of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) in pancreatic progenitors results in agenesis of the pancreas due to apoptosis of progenitor cells. We show that DNMT1 is bound to the p53 regulatory region and that loss of Dnmt1 results in derepression of the p53 locus. Haploinsufficiency of p53 rescues progenitor cell survival and cellular makeup of the Dnmt1-deleted pancreas.
Promoting Regulatory Gene Variation in Sodium Reabsorption

Many genes in an individual genome exist as allelic variants with 1 dimorphic form inherited from each parent. Although these alleles share a common regulatory environment within the same nucleus, they do not necessarily respond to it in the same way. Variation in the promoter sequences of genes, most of which are single base substitutions, may alter the binding of transcription factors that regulate expression of the gene. The result is allelic expression, a condition in which the number of transcripts present that have been produced from 1 parental allele consistently differs from that produced from the other allele. Allelic expression is garnering a great deal of interest in several fields. In evolutionary genetics there is a strong case to be made that the divergence of species relies more heavily on the evolution of regulatory rather than structural variation in genes.1 However, in genomics we are beginning to understand that homeostasis is the output of gene networks and that variation in many genes can shift the state of a gene network and alter its capacity to achieve homeostasis in its regulated outputs.2 Amplifying interest in allelic expression is the fact that functional implications of genetic variation creating allelic expression extend beyond the statistical relationship between the variant and phenotype that is the usual output of population genetic studies. This contrasts with some well-established associations between gene variants and complex disease susceptibility, such as that between Alzheimer disease and the epsilon 4 allele of apolipoprotein E, for which no sufficient functional relationship has yet been uncovered to explain the link between the gene variation and disease risk. The …
Moore's Law: Apples and Oranges.

In 1965, Gordon Moore, then Fairchild Semiconductor’s director of Research and Development, attempted to predict the continued development of integrated electronics by a principle now known as “Moore’s law” in the semiconductor industry and modern computing. In essence, it describes the fact
A Length–Weight Relationship for Pond-raised Hybrid Catfish Fingerlings

A length–weight relationship was developed for pond-raised hybrid catfish fingerlings, Ictalurus punctatus × Ictalurus furcatus. A total of 4663 fish were sampled ranging from 20 to 240 mm total length. Predicted weight (g) from length (mm) is based on the equation: Y = 0.000017311X2.868474309 (r2 = 0.996) where Y is the estimated individual fish weight and X is measured total length. The predicted values generated by this model differ from, but follow the same general trends seen with channel catfish, I. punctatus, fingerlings and can be used as a baseline for the development of a length–weight table for hybrid catfish fingerling production.