cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance of weather-conditional rebates under different risk preferences

Abstract Retailers who sell seasonal products often face challenges in demand management due to weather uncertainty. In many cases, they make their ordering and pricing decisions prior to the regular selling season but the vast majority of sales do not occur until after the season starts, during which unfavorable weather conditions may result in high monetary losses. To protect against such adverse financial outcomes, retailers may offer weather-linked promotions such as weather rebates and induce customers to make early purchases. Specifically, weather-conditional rebates are incentives offered in an advance promotional period to be paid to the early buyers if the weather state in the regular season is unfavorable. In the presence of seasonal weather uncertainty, risk attitudes of retailers and buyers may play an important role on the effectiveness of these promotions. In this paper, we analyze the performance of weather-conditional rebates by explicitly considering the impact of different risk behaviors. First, we study the case in which the retailer and customers are risk-neutral and show that the weather-conditional rebates are effective in increasing the retailer's profits. Under the assumption of the retailer's risk-neutrality, we conduct a simulation study to investigate the impact of customers' alternative early-purchase behaviors on the performance of the rebate program. Next, we consider a risk-averse retailer. We model the retailer's risk aversion primarily in the mean–variance framework and find that the rebate program can be designed to increase the mean profit and reduce the profit variance simultaneously. Furthermore, by combining the rebate program with a financial instrument such as binary weather options, the retailer can obtain greater benefits from weather-conditional rebates.
Stimulation of cell proliferation and inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication by linoleic acid

The effect of linoleic acid (LA) on gap-junction permeability, connexin 43 mRNA level, protein level, and phosphorylation, and the numbers of gap-junctional membrane plaques were studied in the rat liver epithelial cell line WB-F344 to determine whether changes in these parameters correlated with the enhanced cell growth and the inhibition of gap-junction function. When cultured in a medium with low serum (1%), these cells exhibited a slower growth rate than in the high serum medium (7%). Addition of linoleic acid (0.01-3 mg/ml) to the low serum medium increased the growth rate and inhibited gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in a dose-dependent manner. In a comparison of short-term and long-term treatments with LA, GJIC in short-term treated (1 h) WB cells was inhibited at 3 mg/ml LA but readily recovered by washing and removing LA from cells, whereas GJIC in long-term treated (6 days) WB cells did not recover by washing and removing LA from WB cells. Western blot analysis of connexin 43 showed that a short-term incubation with linoleic acid increased the relative amount of unphosphorylated connexin 43 protein, but a long-term incubation with linoleic acid decreased the amount of unphosphorylated connexin 43 protein and increased the relative amount of hyperphosphorylated connexin 43 protein. Connexin 43 and p53 mRNA levels decreased in a time- and dose-dependent manner in linoleic acid-treated cells. These results suggest that growth stimulation and gap junctional intercellular communication inhibition of rat liver epithelial cells by linoleic acid may be mediated in part through modulation of p53 expression and function.
Asthma in pregnancy and its pharmacologic treatment.

Background Asthma is among the most common serious medical problems in pregnancy, and its prevalence may be increasing. Management is problematic because asthma may harm the fetus, yet little is known about fetal risks of asthma medications. Objective To examine the prevalence, symptom control, and pharmacologic treatment of asthma in pregnancy. Methods Study participants were a random sample of 3,609 mothers of nonmalformed infants born in Massachusetts between 1998 and 2006. Interviewed within 6 months of delivery, participants were asked specific asthma-related questions and classified as having physician-diagnosed, possible, past, or no asthma; those with physician-diagnosed asthma were classified as having well-controlled, not well-controlled, or poorly controlled asthma. Drug treatments were grouped into corticosteroids, β 2 -agonists, leukotriene modifiers, combination products, and others. Results Physician-diagnosed asthma was present in 502 women (13.9%) and possible asthma in an additional 578(16.0%). Higher rates of asthma were observed among women who were younger, white, obese, and less well educated, had lower income, and smoked during pregnancy. Secular changes were unremarkable: leukotriene modifiers were used by only 3.4% of asthmatic women; inhaled steroid use increased only from 19.0% during 1997–1999 to 23.3% in 2003–2005, whereas use of inhaled β 2 -agonists exceeded 50% in both periods. Less than 40% of women with poorly controlled asthma symptoms reported use of a controller medication. Conclusions High rates of asthma and asthma symptoms, together with the low rates of use of controller medications, underscore the need to better understand the risks and safety of asthma medications during pregnancy.
Synthetic studies toward Mycobacterium tuberculosis sulfolipid-I.

Sulfolipid-I (SL-I) is an abundant metabolite found in the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is comprised of a trehalose 2-sulfate core modified with four fatty acyl substituents. The correlation of its abundance with the virulence of clinical isolates suggests a role for SL-I in pathogenesis, although its biological functions remain unknown. Here we describe the synthesis of a SL-I analogue bearing unnatural lipid substituents. A key feature of the synthesis was application of an intramolecular aglycon delivery reaction to join two differentially protected glucose monomers, one prepared with a novel α-selective glycosylation. The route developed for the model compound can be readily extended to the synthesis of native SL-I as well as additional analogues for use in the investigation of SL-I's functions.
Low Reynolds Number Transport Properties of Axisymmetric Particles Employing Stick and Slip Boundary Conditions

In this work, a numerical boundary element algorithm is described that can be applied to particles of arbitrary shape that are modeled as arrays of flat triangular plates. It is general enough to accommodate stick or slip boundary conditions as well as the presence of external forces on the surrounding fluid. The algorithm is used in the present work to study the transport of axisymmetric particles in the absence of external forces. Specifically, translational and rotational diffusion constants as well as the viscosity coefficient of ellipsoids (prolate and oblate), short rods, and toroids subject to stick and slip boundary conditions are reported. The transport properties of the corresponding “smooth” particles are estimated by carrying out numerical studies of several model structures and extrapolating to the limit of a model in which the number of plates goes to infinity. This is called the extrapolated shell model. Many of the transport properties are being reported for the first time. In cases where ...
Non-Neuronal Cells Exacerbate β-Amyloid Aggregation in the Aged Brain

Genetic, molecular, pathological and biomarker studies suggest the amyloid precursor protein (APP) derivative β-amyloid (Aβ) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Generation of 40–42 amino acid-Aβ is contingent upon sequential proteolytic processing of APP by
Cost-effectiveness of improving primary care treatment of late-life depression.

Context Depression is a leading cause of functional impairment in elderly individuals and is associated with high medical costs, but there are large gaps in quality of treatment in primary care. Objective To determine the incremental cost-effectiveness of the Improving Mood Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment (IMPACT) collaborative care management program for late-life depression. Design Randomized controlled trial with recruitment from July 1999 to August 2001. Setting Eighteen primary care clinics from 8 health care organizations in 5 states. Participants A total of 1801 patients 60 years or older with major depression (17%), dysthymic disorder (30%), or both (53%). Intervention Patients were randomly assigned to the IMPACT intervention (n = 906) or to usual primary care (n = 895). Intervention patients were provided access to a depression care manager supervised by a psychiatrist and primary care physician. Depression care managers offered education, support of antidepressant medications prescribed in primary care, and problem-solving treatment in primary care (a brief psychotherapy). Main Outcome Measures Total outpatient costs, depression-free days, and quality-adjusted life-years. Results Relative to usual care, intervention patients experienced 107 (95% confidence interval [CI], 86 to 128) more depression-free days over 24 months. Total outpatient costs were $295 (95% CI, −$525 to $1115) higher during this period. The incremental outpatient cost per depression-free day was $2.76 (95% CI, −$4.95 to $10.47) and incremental outpatient costs per quality-adjusted life-year ranged from $2519 (95% CI, −$4517 to $9554) to $5037 (95% CI, −$9034 to $19 108). Results of a bootstrap analysis suggested a 25% probability that the IMPACT intervention was “dominant” (ie, lower costs and greater effectiveness). Conclusions The IMPACT intervention is a high-value investment for older adults; it is associated with high clinical benefits at a low increment in health care costs.
Expression of α- and β-tubulin genes during development of sea urchin embryos☆

Abstract Mature unfertilized eggs of the sea urchin Lytechinus pictus contain multiple α-tubulin mRNAs, which range in size from 1.75 to 4.8 kb, and two β-tubulin mRNAs, 1.8 and 2.25 kb. These mRNAs were found at similar levels throughout the early cleavage stages. RNA gel blot hybridizations showed that prominent quantitative and qualitative changes in tubulin mRNAs occurred between the early blastula and hatched blastula stages. The overall amounts of α- and β-tubulin mRNAs increased two- to fivefold between blastula and pluteus. These increases were due mainly to a rise in a 1.75-kb α RNA and a new 2.0-kb β RNA. Other, minor changes also occurred during subsequent development. All size classes of α- and β-tubulin RNAs in early and late embryos contained poly(A) + translatable sequences. As reported earlier, some of each of the α RNAs, but neither of the β RNAs, are translated in the egg and a small portion of each of the stored α and β RNAs is recruited onto polysomes within 30 min of fertilization. In the work described here, subsequent development up to the morula stage was accompanied by a gradual recruitment of tubulin mRNAs into polysomes. By the early blastula stage, most of the maternal tubulin sequences were associated with polysomes. In contrast to the gradula recruitment of maternal sequences throughout cleavage, the tubulin mRNAs which appeared at the blastula stage showed no delay in entering polysomes. The exact fraction of each mRNA that was translationally active at later stages varied somewhat among the individual mRNAs. From the differential hybridization patterns of egg, embryo, and testis RNAs to various tubulin cDNA and genomic DNA probes, it is concluded that at least one gene producing maternal α mRNA is different from a second one which is expressed only in testis. Each of the three embryonic β RNAs is encoded by a different β gene; at least two of these different β genes are also expressed in testis.
A MULTIDIMENSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF INTERDEPENDENCE

Interdependence is one of the most commonly used concepts within the field of international relations. It has been applied, in one form or another, to most every issue within the study of international relations. Yet empirical assessment of this crucial concept is not commensurate with its conceptual complexity. Rather, works commonly focus on a single facet of interdependence: economic ties. Seeking a more complex, empirically driven measurement of this concept, I explore the multiple dimensions of interdependence, as demonstrated by transactions between states. Specifically, ten separate variables, each representing a different facet of interstate ties, are examined to empirically determine the structure of interdependence. Using factor analysis, three distinct dimensions of interdependence are uncovered.
The Influence of Obesity on Chronic Venous Disease

The authors investigate the impact of overweight in patients with chronic venous disease and determine if the eventual effect can be explained by increased venous reflux alone. Patients with chronic venous disease who underwent duplex-ultrasound scanning at the Vascular Center, Straub Clinic and Hospital during 1999 were classified according to the clinical, etiologic, anatomic, and pathophysiologic (CEAP) system and body mass index (kg/m(2)) was calculated. Reflux duration was measured in seconds and peak reverse flow velocity in cm/second. Multi-segment reflux score (total score) was calculated for both reflux duration and peak reverse flow velocity. The reflux pattern and body mass index were correlated to the clinical presentation. Four hundred and one lower extremities (204 right, 197 left) in 272 patients (173 female) with a mean age of 60 years (range 14-90) were investigated. The mean body mass index was 28.9 (+/-7.76). One hundred sixty-seven patients (61%) were overweight (body mass index 25 kg/m(2) or more). There was a significant association between body mass index and the clinical severity (p<0.001). This association persisted after adjustments for total peak reverse flow velocity and total reflux score were made (p<0.001). Overweight patients were more likely to have skin changes and ulceration (p<0.001) than patients with a body mass index less than 25 kg/m(2), despite similar values for total reflux time (p=0.92) and total peak reverse flow velocity (p=0.98). There was an ethnic difference, with Pacific Islanders being significantly heavier and younger compared to patients of white, Asian and Filipino ancestries. The variations in the frequency of skin changes were consistent with ethnic differences in body mass index. The correlation of body mass index with clinical severity independent of reflux measurements indicates that the effect of overweight may involve a mechanism separate from local effects on venous flow. Overweight appears to be a separate risk factor for increased severity of skin changes in patients with chronic venous disease.
Use of surgeon-performed office ultrasound and parathyroid fine needle aspiration for complex parathyroid localization.

Abstract Background This study investigates the utility of ultrasound guided parathyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA) as a localizing technique in patients with hyperparathyroidism (HPT) undergoing re-operative neck surgery or with unusually appearing or ectopically located glands. Methods Selected patients with HPT underwent surgeon-performed FNA with ultrasound guidance. Aspirate contents were sent for cytology and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. All patients subsequently underwent parathyroid exploration. Results 54 patients underwent 57 ultrasound guided parathyroid biopsies. Indications for FNA included prior parathyroid (n = 29), thyroid (n = 11), or other neck surgery (n = 2), or unusual parathyroid appearance or location (n = 12). A true positive was defined as a site where the PTH aspirate was >40 pg/mL and a hypercellular gland was removed at surgery. Based on this, there were 44 true positives, 10 true negatives, and 3 false negatives; there were no false positives. The median PTH level in positive aspirates was 11,665 pg/mL. Cytology was primarily helpful in excluding other diagnoses. Conclusion Ultrasound guided FNA is a highly specific localization test for parathyroid tumors. This procedure can be successfully performed by surgeons in the office setting and is extremely valuable for directing parathyroid exploration in challenging cases. We recommend incorporating ultrasound and FNA as a pre-operative localization strategy for selected patients with HPT.
Uncertainties in modeling physical and chemical phenomena in reactor accidents

Abstract Uncertainties exist in all parts of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), and their estimation is an important part of any PRA. The identification and quantification of uncertainties in that part of PRA called containment analysis (physical processes and radionuclide behavior) has received relatively little attention until recently. This paper describes the principal sources of uncertainty in containment analysis and summarizes available information on their magnitude.
A Statistical Approach to Error Analysis in Thermal Process Calculations

A method for the statistical analysis of thermal process calculations is presented. First, an analysis is made of some of the uncertainties involved in thermal death time and heat penetration experiments. That information is then used to evaluate the consequences on process lethality calculations. A method is presented for using the results for the assignment of safety factors. Finally, the limitations and implementation problems associated with this method are discussed, particularly the lack of fit of some sets of experimental data to the logarithmic bacterial death model.
Consistent influence of tree diameter and species on damage in nine eastern North America tornado blowdowns

Are tree damage patterns in natural-forest windthrows predictable? Here, I synthesize published and unpublished findings from nine North American forest sites that were disturbed by tornadoes, to ask how well tree damage patterns might be predicted on the basis of tree diameter and species identity. All sites were sampled by the author and assistants, using generally similar methodology, thereby avoiding many of the barriers to direct cross-site comparison of wind damage. In almost all cases, there is a consistent pattern of steady increase in risk of treefall with tree diameter. In most sites, uprooting was substantially more common than trunk breakage, although their relative frequencies varied with tree diameter, and among species and sites in complex ways. Species differed substantially in risk of treefall, even when controlling for diameter. However, ranking among species in risk of treefall was consistent, suggesting that among species differences are general across sites and forest types. In only two out of nine sites was there a significant influence of wood strength properties, independent of species identity. Type of treefall was weakly related to tree diameter, although differences among species were not consistent among sites. Direction of treefall was significantly more eastward for large compared to small trees in six out of eight sites. Stand-level characteristics of height variation, and density, were not consistently related to level of damage at the plot scale. At the scale of individual trees, a moderate level of predictability exists for treefall risk, sprouting, and direction of fall on the basis of easily recorded tree diameter and species identity; type of damage remains poorly predicted on the basis of these traits.
A Raman spectroscopy study of the formation of Ln2−xLnx∗TiyO2y + 3 solid solutions

Abstract The existence of lanthanide titanates Ln 2 O 3 · yTiO 2 in the range 3.0 y ⩽ 4.5 has been determined by Raman spectroscopy. It has been established that such compounds form in the pure state only with Ln ≡ La-Nd and y = 4.33–4.50. However, solid solutions of the type (Ln 2 − x Ln x ∗ O 3 ) · 4.33TiO 2 , where Ln ∗ ≡ Sm-Lu, were prepared. The solubility of the elements from lutetium to samarium in (La, Pr, or Nd) 2 O 3 · 4.33TiO 2 increases as a function of the ionic radius of the “solute” element.
Convection and Magnetic Fields in an Atmosphere with Constant Temperature Gradient. II. The Supergranules and Magnetic Fields

The hydrodynamic properties of convective motions in a stratified atmosphere suggest that the supergranules in the solar photosphere extend to depths in excess of their horizontal diameters. The calculations presented here show that the weak fields which appear at the photosphere are as strong as, or stronger than, the horizontal fields anywhere in the supergranules below the surface. Hence the general 10 to 100 gauss azimuthal field of the sun, whose presence is indicated by the emerging bipolar magnetic regions, must lie below the base of the supergranules, i.e., below a depth probably of the order of 20,000 to 50,000 km. Presumably then the azimuthal field is generated by nonuniform rotation below the supergranule convection and does not appear in the supergranule layer because of the high rate of turbulent diffusion loss from that layer.
High Performance Dye-Doped Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Lasers

A high performance dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) laser pumped by second harmonic Nd-YAG laser is demonstrated. By incorporating external passive CLC reflectors, the light efficiency is enhanced while the beam divergence is reduced significantly.
Protein Kinase G Positively Regulates Proteasome-Mediated Degradation of Misfolded Proteins

Background—Proteasome functional insufficiency is implicated in a large subset of cardiovascular diseases and may play an important role in their pathogenesis. The regulation of proteasome function is poorly understood, hindering the development of effective strategies to improve proteasome function. Methods and Results—Protein kinase G (PKG) was manipulated genetically and pharmacologically in cultured cardiomyocytes. Activation of PKG increased proteasome peptidase activities, facilitated proteasome-mediated degradation of surrogate (enhanced green fluorescence protein modified by carboxyl fusion of degron CL1) and bona fide (CryABR120G) misfolded proteins, and attenuated CryABR120G overexpression–induced accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins and cellular injury. PKG inhibition elicited the opposite responses. Differences in the abundance of the key 26S proteasome subunits Rpt6 and β5 between the PKG-manipulated and control groups were not statistically significant, but the isoelectric points were shif...
Relation of Nonperfused Myocardial Volume and Surface Area to Left Ventricular Performance in Coronary Microembolization

Background— After occlusion of an epicardial artery, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is closely related to the volume of nonperfused myocardium (NPM). The impact of coronary microembolization (ME) on LV function, however, is larger relative to the total volume of NPM. We hypothesized that the total surface area (SA), rather than the total volume, of NPM is the major determinant of ME-induced LV dysfunction. Methods and Results— We injected microspheres of 10-, 30-, or 100-μm diameter at each of 3 doses selectively into the left anterior descending coronary artery of 48 anesthetized pigs. Electron beam computed tomography (CT) was used to measure regional myocardial perfusion and changes in LV wall thickening (ΔWT) and stroke volume (ΔSV) after ME. At postmortem, a transmural “biopsy” of 1 to 2 cm3 of embolized myocardium was imaged by micro-CT, resulting in 3D images that provided volumes and SAs of the individual nonperfused foci. Additionally, in 9 pigs, creatine phosphokinase (CK) activity in emboliz...
Hemispherical vapor bubble growth in microgravity: experiments and model

Abstract Measurements of vapor bubble growth were made in microgravity using R-113 with transient heating at a flat surface, and comparisons made with a combination of two one-dimensional spherical models; an initially uniform superheat model, using the highest temperature at nucleation, denoted as the upper bound of growth, while the second model uses the non-uniform temperature distribution at nucleation as the initial condition surrounding the critical size vapor bubble, denoted as the lower bound. A bubble growth fraction is introduced, related to the upper and lower bounds, and provides a simple index to describe the vapor bubble growth.
1709 COMPUTERIZED CRANIAL TOMOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH SOTOS' SYNDROME

Detailed assessment of patients with Sotos' Syndrome using current neuroradiographic procedures has not been widely reported. Twenty-one patients meeting the characteristics of this syndrome (Sotos, J. AJDC, Vol. 131, 1977) were studied. Seventeen had computerized cranial tomography, of which five were normal. Of the remaining twelve, nine had ventricular dilatation, two had cerebral atrophy, and two had agenesis of the corpus callosum. In eight of the patients the dilatation was mild, but one had significant dilatation requiring a V.P. shunt.
Molecular genetics of the glycophorin gene family, the antigens for MNSs blood groups: multiple gene rearrangements and modulation of splice site usage result in extensive diversification.

The purpose of the review is to describe a system of human erythrocyte membrane glycoproteinsexhibiting extensive diversity. Glycophorins A and B (GPA and GPB) are the antigens of the MNSsblood groups; thus individuals bearing variant glycophorins can be readily identified by serologicaltyping. Examination of the wide array of variants of these antigens showed that they include manyforms, possibly made evident by lack of constraints due to the apparent dispensability of the parentmolecules. This article reviews the molecular genetics of 25 variants of the glycophorin gene family, whose common denominator is that they arise from unequal gene recombinations or gene conversionscoupled to splice-site mutations. Most rearrangements occurred within a 2-kb region mainly within GPA and GPB of the gene family and only rarely within the third member, GPE. The key feature isthe shuffling of sequences within two specific exons (one of which is silent), homologous in the twoparent genes. This has resulted in expression of a mosaic of sequences within this region, leading topolymorphism. The common pattern of recombinations coupled to pre-mRNA splicing was the predominant mechanism of the origin of glycophorin diversity. Thus far this mechanism appears to be unique amonghuman gene families. It could have occurred by chance rearrangements among closely linked genes andbeen driven by a biological advantage, not as yet identified. This remains to be established. Nevertheless, gene rearrangements observed here are akin to those reported for the major histocompatibilitycomplex (MHC). In the glycophorin family the small size of the region within which gene interactionshave occurred and the participation of essentially only two alleles makes this relatively simpler systemmore focused and easier to dissect and describe molecularly. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
What teachers perceive—Children receive?

This study was an attempt to ascertain the relationship between teacher perceived attractiveness and classroom interactions. Eleven elementary school classroom teachers were observed during language arts instruction. After all of the observations were completed, each teacher answered a questionnaire regarding the children in her/his group. The interaction scores of children perceived as attractive or unattractive were then analyzed using a within‐subjects analysis of variance design. Three separate analyses were performed: for the positive, negative, and neutral interactions categories. The results indicated that positive classroom interactions were unevenly distributed. No differences were indicated in any of the other analyses.
Effects of two resin adhesives on mechanical properties of set amalgam

Two hundred amalgam (Dispersalloy) cylinders, 3 mm high×4 mm wide, weretested to determine the compressive and diametral tensile strength of amalgam treated with 1 and 3 mixed drops of Amalgambond resin and 1:1 and 3:3 drops of resin powder paste of Panavia Ex resin. Twenty samples of each group, including a control group, were tested with a 1 cm diameter testing rod in an Instron universal testing machine at 0.5 mm/minute speed. All samples tested for compressive strength were not statistically different from one another (ANOVA). ANOVA and Tukey HSD test indicated no significant difference in diametral tension between the Amalgam and Amalgambond 1X materials, but significant differences were demonstrated with the Amalgambond 3X and Panavia 1X and 3X materials.
A Rate-Sensitive Plasticity-Based Model for Machining of fcc Single-Crystals—Part II: Model Calibration and Validation

For a range of precision machining and micromachining operations, the crystallographic anisotropy plays a critical role in determining the machining forces. Part II of this work presents the calibration and validation of the rate-sensitive plasticity-based machining (RSPM) model developed in Part I. The five material parameters, including four hardening parameters and the exponent of rate sensitivity, for both single-crystal aluminum and single-crystal copper are calibrated from the single-crystal plunge-turning data using a Kriging-based minimization approach. Subsequently, the RSPM model is validated by comparing the specific energies obtained from the model to those from a single-crystal cutting test. The RSPM model is seen to capture the experimentally observed variation of specific energies with crystallographic anisotropy (orientation), including the mean value, symmetry, specific trend, amplitude, and phase of the peak specific energy. The effects of lattice rotation, hardening, and material-parameter variations on the predicted specific energies is then analyzed, revealing the importance of both lattice rotation and hardening in accurately capturing the specific energies when cutting single-crystals. Using the RSPM model, the effects of crystallographic orientation, rake angle and friction angle on specific energies are also analyzed. Lastly, a simplified model that uses Merchant’s shear angle, thereby circumventing the minimization procedure, is constructed and evaluated.
Human Chromosome Banding by Feulgen Stain Aids in Localizing Classes of Chromatin

The band patterns of human chromosomes displayed by the Feulgen stain are similar to but not identical with those of the conventional quinacrine and Giemsa preparations. The parallelism among the three is principally that of prominent negative bands that appear consistently at characteristic loci throughout a wide range of chromosome compaction. The correlation of those bands with regions of low optical density in nonbanded Fuelgen-stained chromosomes suggests that they are loci of DNA that is inherently difluse or readily labile. The instances of disparity among the patterns of the three modes of banding occur at the telomeres and at known regions of heterochromatin, and are interpreted here as reflecting the heterogeneity of the protein moieties in their reactivity to the cytochemical treatments.
The Downside of Social Closure: Brokerage, Parental Influence, and Delinquency Among African American Boys

Building on the literature that stresses the social capital advantages of open and diffuse social networks, this article shows that African American boys who are a social bridge across two or more large but cohesive peer groups are less delinquent than are their counterparts who are members of a single peer group. Statistical interaction terms reveal that this decrease in delinquency can be attributed to the increased influence of parents among social bridges. The article concludes that the network form of the adolescent society, independent of its composition, conditions the parent-child relationship.
Control of protein phosphorylation with a genetically encoded photocaged amino acid

We genetically encoded the photocaged amino acid 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzylserine (DMNB-Ser) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to the amber nonsense codon TAG. This amino acid was converted to serine in living cells by irradiation with relatively low-energy blue light and was used to noninvasively photoactivate phosphorylation of the transcription factor Pho4, which controls the cellular response to inorganic phosphate. When substituted at phosphoserine sites that control nuclear export of Pho4, blocks phosphorylation and subsequent export by the receptor Msn5 (ref. 2). We triggered phosphorylation of individual serine residues with a visible laser pulse and monitored nuclear export of Pho4-GFP fusion constructs in real time. We observed distinct export kinetics for differentially phosphorylated Pho4 mutants, which demonstrates dynamic regulation of Pho4 function. This methodology should also facilitate the analysis of other cellular processes involving free serine residues, including catalysis, biomolecular recognition and ion transport.
A role for environmental factors in the production of digitalis toxicity.

Abstract The purpose of our study was to learn whether changes in the external milieu could affect the lethality of ouabain. We found that guinea pigs experiencing restraint stress for the first time showed a greater susceptibility to the lethal effects of ouabain (175 μg/kg IP) than non-stressed controls. Adaptation to the restraint procedure abolished this sensitization. This effect related to repeated experience with restraint and not to repeated human handling because repeatedly handled guinea pigs still showed sensitization to the lethal effect of ouabain (200 μg/kg IP) when restrained for the first time. These data indicate that environmental factors will have to be considered in addition to changes in the internal milieu when trying to explain individual differences in sensitivity to toxicity while taking constant doses of digitalis.
Analysis of NMR lineshapes of rigid-lattice multispin systems. I. Proton resonance

Abstract An efficient general method of simulating NMR lineshapes of rigid multiproton molecules is described. Powder line shapes are obtained as summations of the spectra calculated for uniformly distributed orientations of the molecules, supplemented by interpolation to reduce computer time and subjected to intermolecular broadening. Simulated spectra are shown to agree well with low-temperature experimental spectra obtained for the clathrate deuteriohydrates of dichloromethane, ethylene oxide and sulfide, and trimethylene oxide, and for cyclopropane in perchloropropene glass. Lineshapes expected for rigid square and tetrahedral arrays of protons are presented.
Direct Measurement of Solvation Forces in Complex Microporous Media: A New Characterization Tool

We present a new beam bending (BB) technique for measuring solvation forces in complex microporous materials. The solvation forces are compressive and monotonically increasing with relative pressure. This is in stark contrast to Laplace-Kelvin theory (LKT) which predicts only tensile stresses. Applying a nonlocal density functional theory (DFT), the observed monotonic, compressive stresses are shown to arise from molecular sized pores with modest pore size polydispersity where the half-width of the distribution is 0.2-0.7 nm. Finally, the combined BB/DFT analysis provides a novel and much needed method for characterizing the morphology of microporous thin film materials to 0.1 nm resolution.
Neurosurgery in Afghanistan during "Operation Enduring Freedom": a 24-month experience.

Object “Operation Enduring Freedom” is the US war effort in Afghanistan in its global war on terror. One US military neurosurgeon is deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to provide care for both battlefield injuries and humanitarian work. Here, the authors analyze a 24-month neurosurgical caseload experience in Afghanistan. Methods Operative logs were analyzed between October 2007 and September 2009. Operative cases were divided into minor procedures (for example, placement of an intracranial pressure monitor) and major procedures (for example, craniotomy) for both battle injuries and humanitarian work. Battle injuries were defined as injuries sustained by soldiers while in the line of duty or injuries to Afghan civilians from weapons of war. Humanitarian work consisted of providing medical care to Afghans. Results Six neurosurgeons covering a 24-month period performed 115 minor procedures and 210 major surgical procedures cases. Operations for battlefield injuries included 106 craniotomies, ...
Biologically inspired scheme for continuous-time approximate dynamic programming:

Control system theory has been based on certain well understood and accepted techniques, such as transfer function-based methods, adaptive control, robust control, non-linear systems theory, state-space methods, etc. However, recently, the hypothesis that methods of modelling and analysis of life science systems hold out the power of significantly improving the performance of man-made control systems has gained increased interest, while becoming more and more a fact. For instance, in the last few decades many successful results were obtained by combining the potential of artificial neural networks (ANNs) with classical control structures. It has been shown that certain types of ANN can extend the capabilities of adaptive controllers by making them applicable for more complex non-linear systems, and at the same time greatly improving the system performance. In this paper, we will present a biologically inspired structure that will learn the optimal state feedback controller for a linear system, while at th...
A micromachined 2D positioner with electrothermal actuation and sub-nanometer capacitive sensing

This paper reports on a multi-purpose two-axis micropositioner with sub-nanometer position sensing for precise feedback control. Along each axis it has an electrothermal actuator, a capacitive position sensor and a displacement amplifier that provides a gain of 3.37 for the sensor. It is fabricated from custom SOI wafers using dry etching, and each component is electrically and thermally isolated by silicon nitride. For a fabricated device of 65 µ mt hickness, the measured displacement sensitivity is 0.333 fF nm −1 ,w hich corresponds to 0.3 nm resolution with available laboratory instrumentation. The range is ≈19 µ ma long each axis for the positioner, which corresponds to 66 µ mt ravel in the sense combs. Using an external parallel inductor, a positioning displacement of 9.6 µ mo ffers as hift of 240 kHz in L–C resonance, corresponding to a sensitivity of 25 Hz nm −1 . (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
'ACTIVE' SUGAR TRANSPORT IN EUKARYOTES

Sugar transporters in prokaryotes and eukaryotes belong to a large family of membrane proteins containing 12 transmembrane alpha-helices. They are divided into two classes: one facilitative (uniporters) and the other concentrative (cotransporters or symporters). The concentrative transporters are energised by either H+ or Na+ gradients, which are generated and maintained by ion pumps. The facilitative and H(+)-driven sugar transporters belong to a gene family with a distinctive secondary structure profile. The Na(+)-driven transporters belong to a separate, small gene family with no homology at either the primary or secondary structural levels. It is likely that the Na(+)- and H(+)-driven sugar cotransporters share common transport mechanisms. To explore these mechanisms, we have expressed cloned eukaryote Na+/sugar cotransporters (SGLT) in Xenopus laevis oocytes and measured the kinetics of sugar transport using two-electrode voltage-clamp techniques. For SGLT1, we have developed a six-state ordered model that accounts for the experimental data. To test the model we have carried out the following experiments. (i) We measured pre-steady-state kinetics of SGLT1 using voltage-jump techniques. In the absence of sugar, SGLT1 exhibits transient carrier currents that reflect voltage-dependent conformational changes of the protein. Time constants for the carrier currents give estimates of rate constants for the conformational changes, and the charge movements, integrals of the transient currents, give estimates of the number and valence of SGLT1 proteins in the plasma membrane. Ultrastructural studies have confirmed these estimates of SGLT1 density. (ii) We have perturbed the kinetics of the cotransporter by site-directed mutagenesis of selected residues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Improving qPCR telomere length assays: Controlling for well position effects increases statistical power.

Objectives Telomere length (TL) is commonly measured using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Although, easier than the southern blot of terminal restriction fragments (TRF) TL measurement method, one drawback of qPCR is that it introduces greater measurement error and thus reduces the statistical power of analyses. To address a potential source of measurement error, we consider the effect of well position on qPCR TL measurements. Methods qPCR TL data from 3,638 people run on a Bio-Rad iCycler iQ are reanalyzed here. To evaluate measurement validity, correspondence with TRF, age, and between mother and offspring are examined. Results First, we present evidence for systematic variation in qPCR TL measurements in relation to thermocycler well position. Controlling for these well-position effects consistently improves measurement validity and yields estimated improvements in statistical power equivalent to increasing sample sizes by 16%. We additionally evaluated the linearity of the relationships between telomere and single copy gene control amplicons and between qPCR and TRF measures. We find that, unlike some previous reports, our data exhibit linear relationships. We introduce the standard error in percent, a superior method for quantifying measurement error as compared to the commonly used coefficient of variation. Using this measure, we find that excluding samples with high measurement error does not improve measurement validity in our study. Conclusions Future studies using block-based thermocyclers should consider well position effects. Since additional information can be gleaned from well position corrections, rerunning analyses of previous results with well position correction could serve as an independent test of the validity of these results. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:570–575, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A New Deal for Southeastern Archaeology, by Edwin A. Lyon, The University of Alabama Press

In the 1950s, the Era of the Great Depression, archaeology in the United States enjoyed an enormous boost, both in the substance of its findings on the Precolumbian past and in the development of its methods and proce­dures. Edwin A. Lyon has laid out the story of all this in a book that is a major contribution to the history of the archaeological discipline in this country. The context of this story is in the American South, most specifically the Southeastern United States, or the 'Old South', that part of the country that was the heart of the Confederacy; and it is important to remember that the South has had a history significantly separate and distinct from that of the rest of the nation. This separateness, rooted in its plantation economy and the associated institution of slavery, was further fostered by the Civil War and its aftermath of hardships. These hardships lasted until the 1930s and the economic depression when they began to be ameliorated by the Rooseveltian political and socioeconomic measures known collectively as the 'New Deal' . The policies of the New Deal began those transformations which continued through World War II and beyond. Crucial to these transformations were the building of power dams and rural electrification, soil erosion control and agricultural modernization, and a host of public building programs. All of this went forward with Federal Relief employment. Less tangible but nonetheless important benefits were in the cultural sphere: the arts, drama, writing. history - and of particular importance to us here. archaeology.
Proper catheter selection for needle thoracostomy: a height and weight-based criteria.

Abstract Background Obesity increases the incidence of mortality in trauma patients. Current Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines recommend using a 5-cm catheter at the second intercostal (ICS) space in the mid-clavicular line to treat tension pneumothoraces. Our study purpose was to determine whether body mass index (BMI) predicted the catheter length needed for needle thoracostomy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed trauma patients undergoing chest computed tomography scans January 2004 through September 2006. A BMI was calculated for each patient, and the chest wall thickness (CWT) at the second ICS in the mid-clavicular line was measured bilaterally. Patients were grouped by BMI as underweight (≤18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.6–24.9 kg/m 2 ), overweight (25–29.9 kg/m 2 ), or obese (≥30 kg/m 2 ). Results Three hundred twenty-six patients were included in the study; 70% were male. Ninety-four percent of patients experienced blunt trauma. Sixty-three percent of patients were involved in a motor vehicle collision. The average BMI was 29 [SD 7.8]. The average CWT was 6.2 [SD 1.9] cm on the right and 6.3 [SD 1.9] cm on the left. As BMI increased, a statistically significant ( p Conclusion As BMI increases, there is a direct correlation to increasing CWT. This information could be used to quickly select an appropriate needle length for needle thoracostomy. The average patient in our study would require a catheter length of 6–6.5 cm to successfully decompress a tension pneumothorax. There are not enough regionally available data to define the needle lengths needed for needle thoracostomy. Further study is required to assess the feasibility and safety of using varying catheter lengths.
The Effect of an Increase in Worker's Compensation Benefits on the Duration and Frequency of Benefit Receipt

We present quasi-experimental estimates of the effect of changes in workers' compensation benefits on benefit duration and application frequency, using administrative data for California. Our design exploits two increases in temporary disability benefits occurring during the mid-1990s. We find consistent increases in the duration among injured workers whose benefits were affected by the schedule changes, and some evidence indicating that the likelihood of filing for benefits conditional on being injured is responsive to benefit levels. Finally, we evaluate whether the frequency effect on applying for indemnity benefits introduces a sample selection bias into standard quasi-experimental estimates of duration benefit elasticities.
Molecular genetic evidence for interspecific hybridization among endemic Hispaniolan bursera (Burseraceae)

Historically, genetic introgression among species as well as hybrid origins for species of the diploid tree genus Bursera (Burseraceae) have been proposed based on the supposition that individuals morphologically intermediate between sympatric ‘‘parent’’ species must be derived from hybridization. This study reports the first molecular genetic evidence for both unidirectional and reciprocal interspecific hybridization within Bursera. Phylogenies of hybrids and other species in B. subgenus Bursera are reconstructed based on nuclear and chloroplast sequence data. Compelling evidence supports the hybrid origin of three endemic Hispaniolan species: B. brunea (B. nashii 3 B. simaruba), B. gracilipes (B. spinescens 3 B. simaruba), and B. ovata (B. simaruba 3 B. spinescens). Cloning studies of nuclear markers from B. ovata suggests that this species is an introgressed or later backcross generation hybrid and thus reproduces sexually. Bursera is a member of the frankincense and myrrh family (Burseraceae) and comprises approximately 100 species of frost-intolerant trees that range from southern Arizona, USA,