cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gender Differences in Telecommuting and Implications for Inequality at Home and Work

The global pandemic has led to an unprecedented shift to remote work that will likely persist to some degree into the future. Telecommuting’s impact on flexibility and work family conflict is a critical question for researchers and policy-makers. Our study addresses this question with data collected before and during the COVID-19 crisis: the 2003-2018 American Time Use Survey (ATUS, N = 19,179) and the April and May 2020 COVID Impact Survey (N = 784). Comparing mothers and fathers who work exclusively at the workplace, exclusively from home, and part-day from home, we describe differences in time spent on housework, childcare, and leisure; the nature of time worked at home; and the subjective experiences of telecommuting. In addition to a broad descriptive portrait, we take advantage of a quasi-experimental design in the ATUS leave supplements to examine time working at home among those who report ever telecommuting, providing estimates of telecommuting’s effect on other uses of time that better approximate causal relationships than prior studies. We find that gender gaps in housework are larger for telecommuters, and, among telecommuters, larger on telecommuting days. Conversely, telecommuting may shrink the gender gap in childcare, particularly among couples with two full time earners, although childcare more frequently impinges upon mothers’ work time. Survey data collected following the March COVID19 stay-at-home orders show that telecommuting mothers more frequently report feelings of anxiety, loneliness and depression than telecommuting fathers. Early estimates of responses to the COVID19 pandemic offer insights into future implications of telecommuting for gender equality at work.
Steroid precursors, steroids, neuroactive steroids, and neurosteroids concentrations in serum and saliva of healthy neonatal heifer Holstein calves

BACKGROUND Persistence of high neurosteroid concentrations in blood is associated with neonatal encephalopathy and septicemia in foals. This has not been investigated in calves. OBJECTIVES To determine concentrations of steroid compounds in serum and saliva within the first 48 hours after birth in healthy neonatal calves, identify potential markers for disease, and investigate the association between serum steroid compounds concentrations in calves and their respective dams within 2 hours after birth. ANIMALS Twelve healthy neonatal heifer Holstein calves and their dams. METHODS Prospective study. Serum and saliva were collected from calves at 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours after birth. Steroid compounds were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A nonlinear regression model was used to determine half-lives of the neurosteroids. Serum concentrations of neurosteroids between the cows and calves were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS Half-lives (95% confidence intervals) of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and 17α,20α-dihydroxyprogesterone in calf serum were 2.9 (2.1, 4.3), and 2.1 (1.3, 3.0) hours, respectively. Pregnanediol in saliva had a half-life (95% confidence interval) of 24.5 (14.2, 66.5) hours. Serum DHEA (1718.7 ± 2313 vs 57.7 ± 44) and 17α,20α-dihydroxyprogesterone (207.8 ± 198.2 vs 43.5 ± 33.5) concentrations respectively were higher (P < .05) in calves compared to cows. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Dehydroepiandrosterone, 17α,20α-dihydroxyprogesterone, and pregnanediol could be potential markers of disease in neonatal heifer calves with unexplained failure to thrive or encephalopathy. However, because of the wide 95% confidence interval of the half-life, pregnanediol in saliva might not be a potential marker.
From Blair House to the Farmhouse: Negotiating Agriculture Trade in the European Union

This chapter focuses on the European side of agricultural trade negotiations during the Uruguay Round of trade talks. It draws on the bilateral negotiations and considers the interim agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United States that became known as the Blair House Accord and the specific reactions in Ireland and France. The chapter also focuses on the complexities of the negotiating farm trade within the EU. By the 1980s, European agriculture policy was also in crisis, but its problem was of a very different nature. In the 1980s, agricultural trade policies led to an escalation of friction among states engaged in the international trade of agricultural products. The rationale behind the Community’s negotiation strategy was based on the functioning of Common Agricultural Policy and its linkage of various support mechanisms: price supports, border protection measures, and export refunds.
Fast and exact quantification of motif occurrences in biological sequences.

Identification of motifs and quantification of their occurrences are important for the study of genetic diseases, gene evolution, transcription sites, and other biological mechanisms. Exact formulae for estimating count distributions of motifs under Markovian assumptions have high computational complexity and are impractical to be used on large motif sets. Approximated formulae, e.g. based on compound Poisson, are faster, but reliable p value calculation remains challenging. Here, we introduce ‘motif_prob’, a fast implementation of an exact formula for motif count distribution through progressive approximation with arbitrary precision. Our implementation speeds up the exact calculation, usually impractical, making it feasible and posit to substitute currently employed heuristics. We implement motif_prob in both Perl and C+ + languages, using an efficient error-bound iterative process for the exact formula, providing comparison with state-of-the-art tools (e.g. MoSDi) in terms of precision, run time benchmarks, along with a real-world use case on bacterial motif characterization. Our software is able to process a million of motifs (13–31 bases) over genome lengths of 5 million bases within the minute on a regular laptop, and the run times for both the Perl and C+ + code are several orders of magnitude smaller (50–1000× faster) than MoSDi, even when using their fast compound Poisson approximation (60–120× faster). In the real-world use cases, we first show the consistency of motif_prob with MoSDi, and then how the p-value quantification is crucial for enrichment quantification when bacteria have different GC content, using motifs found in antimicrobial resistance genes. The software and the code sources are available under the MIT license at https://github.com/DataIntellSystLab/motif_prob . The motif_prob software is a multi-platform and efficient open source solution for calculating exact frequency distributions of motifs. It can be integrated with motif discovery/characterization tools for quantifying enrichment and deviation from expected frequency ranges with exact p values, without loss in data processing efficiency.
Neurochemical markers in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with dementia

The presence of a long history of alcohol abuse in patients with cognitive decline may be a problem in the differential diagnosis, especially when dealing with elderly patients, where Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia. Since specific treatments are now available for AD, while the effect of alcohol on cognition may be reversible to some extent, the need for early discrimination between the two disorders is obvious.
Ties That (Un)Bind: Feminism, Sisterhood and Other Foreign Relations

Sisterhood has emerged as the dominant model for feminist intercommunity relations. A term of political solidarity, “sisterhood” speaks women’s activism. The meaning it carries for its originators and deployers is one of shared oppression, common victimization, community of interests, solidarity, and collective activism. Whether it refers to interracial, international, transglobal, or cross- cultural relations, the ideal promoted is couched in the rhetoric of kinship and family bonds. Nevertheless, many feminists have criticized this use of the term. African American feminists have, for example, pointed out what they consider the hypocrisy and the dishonesty of white feminists in advocating an unconditional love and solidarity amongst all women, even as they exercised their race and class privileges on the backs of non-white women. Given this insightful critique of sisterhood as a model for inter-racial relations, one is surprised that the term still has currency in certain feminist circles. Unlike the word “feminism,” which has engendered new concepts like womanism and Third World feminism, for example, “sisterhood” has not generated alternative terms of political solidarity. Rather, African American feminists, in particular, have pointed out the limitations of the term “sisterhood,” attempting to reformulate it to carry the weight of experiences beyond those of white women. Audre Lorde (1984) writes about the “sister outsider,” an oxymoron which suggests that the problem is not really the notion of sisterhood but the way it has been used in the women’s movement. Another black feminist, bell hooks (1995), writes about “false sisterhood,” indicating that the term’s early meanings were not realized in the lives of contemporary feminists.
Evidence of selection for clones having genetic inactivation of the activin A type II receptor (ACVR2) gene in gastrointestinal cancers.

The activin signaling pathway parallels the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta pathway. Both use extracellular ligands and cell surface receptors that are structurally and functionally related, as well as the same intracellular mediators (SMADs 2-4) to transmit these signals. Members of both pathways have been characterized previously as tumor suppressor genes on the demonstration of inactivating mutations in human neoplasms, e.g., genetic inactivation of the activin type I receptor was reported recently in pancreatic cancer. Here, we present evidence of selection for mutations of the activin A type II receptor (ACVR2) gene during human gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. Two 8-bp polyadenine tracts of the ACVR2 gene are targets for inactivating frameshift mutations in gastrointestinal neoplasms having microsatellite instability (MSI). These mutations are similar to those of the 10-bp polyadenine tract within the TGF-beta type II receptor (TGFBR2), a well-characterized target of frameshift mutations in the same neoplasms. We identified biallelic mutations of ACVR2 in 25 of 28 MSI colorectal and pancreatic cancers. In addition, a mutation in the ACVR2 gene combined with loss of the wild-type allele was found in a non-MSI pancreatic cancer. This evidence is compatible with a high degree of selection for inactivation of the ACVR2 gene in tumorigenesis, supporting ACVR2 as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in gastrointestinal cancers.
The machine sequencing problem – review and extensions

The deterministic sequencing problem is reviewed from the points of view of variety, models, context, methodology, and current state of the art. The relationship between the theory of sequencing and other areas of control is illustrated with the relationship of sequencing to inventory. The “cyclical EMQ (Economical Manufacturing Quantities)” problem is discussed and new formulations are presented which promise a computationally feasible resolution of this outstanding problem.
The Market Process and the Economics of QWERTY: Two Views

Since its publication in 1985 Paul David's “Economics of QWERTY” has provided a paradigm case for the understanding and application of path-dependent processes in economics, some of which have been identified as yielding sub-optimal outcomes. The accuracy and relevance of this case, and this entire theoretical approach, has been subjected to critical scrutiny by Stan Liebowitz and Stephen Margolis in a series of articles and in a recent book. In this article I provide a wide ranging, and largely appreciative, review of the book and highlight, in some detail, the fundamental disagreements with which it deals.
Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in newly diagnosed patients with head and neck cancer and their partners

Background Head and neck cancer is a life-threatening illness requiring aversive treatments. Despite clear potential for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in both patients and their partners, research is scant. Methods Newly diagnosed patients and partners (number of dyads = 42) completed questionnaires to assess symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, as well as demographic, medical, and attitudinal variables. Results Partners had higher average levels of PTSD symptoms than patients (p = .023). More partners (28.6%) met criteria for estimated PTSD caseness than did patients (11.9%). There were no significant differences in levels of other anxiety or depression symptoms. Perceived threat of disease appeared to be a stronger correlate of PTSD symptom levels than medical variables in patients and partners. Conclusion A diagnosis of head and neck cancer elicits significant levels of PTSD symptoms in patients, and even higher levels among partners. Identified correlates of distress, including perceived threat of disease, are potential intervention targets. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 1282–1289, 2015
Urban Theory: A Critical Assessment by John R. Short

John R. Short, Urban Theory: A Critical Assessment (Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006).John Short is an insightful geographer who has published a lot of books and articles on human geograph...
Stateless Income and Its Remedies

This outline presentation (I) quickly reviews the current status of business tax reform efforts in the United States, with particular attention to the international treatment of foreign direct investment, (II) summarizes the economic predicates required for territorial tax systems to advance economic efficiency, (III) explains why the phenomenon of stateless income means that those predicates are not met today, and are unlikely to be met in the future, and (IV) analyzes current U.S. legislative international tax proposals. In doing the last of these, the presentation points out how the legislative proposal advanced by Dave Camp, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, might inadvertently operate to treat “good” operating income as subpart F income in a range of plausible cases.
Milkweeds, monarch butterflies and the ecological significance of cardenolides

The contribution of Miriam Rothschild to the “monarch cardenolide story” is reviewed in the light of the 1914 challenge by the evolutionary biologist, E.B. Poulton for North American chemists to explain the chemical basis of unpalatability in monarch butterflies and their milkweed host plants. This challenge had lain unaccepted for nearly 50 years until Miriam Rothschild took up the gauntlet and showed with the help of many able colleagues that monarchs are aposematically coloured because they sequester toxic cardenolides from milkweed host plants for use as a defence against predators. By virtue of Dr Rothschild's inspiration and industry, and subsequently that of Lincoln Brower and his colleagues, this tritrophic interaction has become a familiar paradigm for the evolution of chemical defences and warning colouration. We now know that the cardenolide contents of different milkweeds vary quantitatively, qualitatively and spatially, both within and among species and we are starting to appreciate the implications of such variation. However, as Dr Rothschild has pointed out in her publications, cardenolides have sometimes blinded us to reality and it is curious how little evidence there is for a defensive function to cardenolides in plants — especially against adapted specialists such as the monarch. Thus the review will conclude with a discussion of the significance of temporal variation and induction of cardenolide production in plants, the “lethal plant defence paradox” and an emphasis on the dynamics of the cardenolide-mediated interaction between milkweeds and monarch larvae.
Synthesis and characterization of optically pure [3H](+)azidophenazocine ([3H](+)‐AZPH), a novel photoaffinity label for sigma receptors

[3H](+)-cis-N-(2-(4-Azidophenyl)ethyl) -2′-hydroxy-2,6-dimethyl-6,7-benzomorphan ([3H]1) ([3H](+)-AZPH), a novel high affinity and high selectivity benzomorphan based photoaffinity label for sigma receptors was synthesized in 4 steps starting with optically pure (+)-normetazocine and 2-(p-azidophenyl)ethyl methanesulfonate ester. Condensation of these compounds in DMF in the presence of NaHCO3 afforded 1 in 77% yield. The tritiation precursor (+)-cis-N-(2-(4-azidophenyl)ethyl)-2′-hydroxy-1′,3′-dibromo-2,6-dimethyl-6,7- benzomorphan (4) for medium specific activity [3H]1 was obtained in 96% yield by bromination of 1 with 2 equivalents of bromine. The sequence of catalytic tritiation of 4, treatment of the resulting aniline ([3H]5) (13.5% radiochemical yield, specific activity 22.9 Ci/mmol) with nitrous acid followed by sodium azide afforded the target compound in 78% chemical yield.
A Computer-Assisted Instruction in Teaching Abstract Statistics to Public Affairs Undergraduates

This article attempts to demonstrate the applicability of a computer-assisted instruction supported with simulated data in teaching abstract statistical concepts to political science and public affairs students in an introductory research methods course. The software is called the Elaboration Model Computer Exercise (EMCE) in that it takes a great deal of its form from the model based on the pioneering work of Paul F. Lazarsfeld. This article presents EMCE and discusses the impetus of creating this tool for an audience who has a weak foundation of statistics.
Finite-temperature defect properties from free-energy minimization

We present two simple, but accurate, techniques for calculating the finite-temperature atomic structure and free energy of any solid defect (point or extended). The finite-temperature equilibrium atomic structure and thermodynamic properties of defects in solids are obtained self-consistently by minimizing the rree energy of the solid with respect to the coordinates of the atoms. Application of the two methods to a perfect crystal and one with a vacancy show that both methods yield excellent agreement with Monte Carlo calculations for temperatures up to at least 75% of the melting point.
Interfacial Arsenic from Wet Oxidation of AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs: Its Effects on Electronic Properties and New Approaches to Mis Device Fabrication

Three important oxidation regimes have been identified in the temporal evolution of the wet thermal oxidation of Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As (1 {ge} x {ge} 0.90) on GaAs: (1) oxidation of Al and Ga in the Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As alloy to form an amorphous oxide layer, (2) oxidative formation and elimination of elemental As (both crystalline and amorphous) and of amorphous As{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and (3) crystallization of the oxide film. Residual As can result in up to a 100-fold increase in leakage current and a 30% increase in the dielectric constant and produce strong Fermi-level pinning and high leakage currents at the oxidized Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As/GaAs interface. The presence of thermodynamically-favored interfacial As may impose a fundamental limitation on the application of AlGaAs wet oxidation for achieving MIS devices in the GaAs material system.
Facilitating patient compliance in glaucoma therapy

Noncompliance is a major problem in glaucoma therapy. The causes, forms, and sociological variables associated with noncompliance are reviewed. A comprehensive strategy to facilitate the safe and effective use of glaucoma medications is presented and discussed. This strategy combines education about the disease and its treatment, "tailoring" of the therapeutic regimen, training and reinforcement in eyedrop application, cooperation with primary care physicians, alleviating side effects, and improving doctor-patient relationships.
Hydrostatic Adjustment in Nonisothermal Atmospheres

Abstract The author examines hydrostatic adjustment due to heating in two nonisothermal atmospheres. In the first case both the temperature and lapse rate decrease with height; in the second case the atmosphere consists of a troposphere with constant lapse rate and a colder, isothermal, semi-infinitely deep stratosphere. In both cases hydrostatic adjustment, to a good approximation, follows the pattern found in the Lamb problem: initially the Eulerian available potential energy remains essentially constant so that an increase (a decrease) in the kinetic energy occurs with a corresponding decrease (increase) of Eulerian available elastic energy. After this initial period the acoustic–gravity waves disperse and all three forms of energy—Eulerian kinetic, Eulerian available potential, and available elastic—interact with each other. Relaxation to hydrostatic balance occurs rapidly, within the first acoustic cutoff period 4πHS/c, where c is the speed of sound and HS is the scale height. In the Lagrangian descr...
Phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance brain spectroscopy of children at risk for a substance use disorder: Preliminary results

Abstract The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to evaluate the heuristic potential of 31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in elucidating a neurobiologic component of the liability for a substance use disorder (SUD). We investigated 31 P MRS spectra employing chemical shift imaging (CSI) derived from four distinct anatomic brain locations (i.e. frontal, occipital, right parietal, left parietal) in three groups of peripubertal children who are hypothesized to be at increasing levels of familial SUD risk. Specifically, we studied children with a positive paternal family history of SUD and a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) diagnosis (SUD+/DBD+; n =10), in contrast to those with a positive paternal SUD history in the absence of other psychopathology (SUD+/DBD−; n =13) and matched control children from normal families (SUD−/DBD−; n =13). In addition, we examined neurocognitive tests of our subjects to determine any associations between cognitive capacities with regional 31 P MRS spectra. The highest-risk sample (SUD+/DBD+) demonstrated a diminished proportion of phosphodiesters confined to the right parietal voxel. This right parietal phosphodiester proportion correlated only with the Information Scale score on a standard intelligence test for children. This suggested a relationship between general learning ability and motivation for academic achievement and right parietal physiology in the highest-risk sample. Variations in synaptic pruning could account for this observation.
Domestic demand and ability to export in developing economies: Some preliminary results

Abstract This note offers preliminary empirical evidence on the relationship between domestic demand and the ability to export in the developing economies. It utilizes the framework of the ‘Linder Thesis’ and its recent extensions in order to estimate the parameters of this relationship through regression analysis.
New lines of neon ions in the range 50-200 A.

About 180 new spectral lines of Ne V, Ne VI, Ne VII, and Ne VIII have been measured and identified on spectrograms obtained from a large theta-pinch apparatus. The spectrograms covered the range from 50 to 200 A. The lines were classified by means of isoelectronic extrapolations and interpolations.
Effect of moisture, lipids, and select amino acid blocking agents on the formation and stability of metastable radicals in powdered soy proteins.

: Incremental increases in the moisture content of powdered soy protein products from 4.4% to 13.4% produced an inverse effect on the ability of soy proteins to maintain metastable free radicals. The corresponding reduction in electron paramagnetic resonance signal was not due to dielectric loss in the range of moisture contents examined. Subsequent evaluations of various treatments were conducted after drying soy proteins with molecular sieve to a water activity below 0.085 in order to minimize the influence from variations in moisture. Isolated soy protein (ISP) samples, prepared with “defatted flour” that had been further extracted with chloroform/methanol (2 : 1), had a 96% reduction in total lipids compared to the control ISP samples. The initial rate of radical accumulation in the “reduced-lipid” ISP for the first 3 wk was not significantly different from the initial rate of radical increases in the control ISP. After 3 wk, radical accumulation in the “reduced-lipid” ISP continued to increase, but at a rate that was less than the control. These findings indicate that the initial reactions contributing to the formation of metastable radicals in the powdered ISP are not strongly dependent on associated lipids. Blocking sulfhydryl groups during ISP preparation with N-ethylmaleimide did not significantly slow the rate of radical accumulation compared to the control ISP. Blocking arginine residues in ISP samples with phenylglyoxal caused an increased rate of radical accumulation for the first 4 wk. Practical Application: Levels of metastable radicals in powdered soy protein products typically range from 10 to 100 times greater than the free radicals in other food protein sources. This current research examines various compositional and treatment parameters that might be used to minimize the content of free radicals in foods containing soy proteins.
American workers' organizational identification with a Japanese multinational manufacturer

Organizational identification has been found to be associated with workers' improved performance (Benkhoff 1997), low turnover rate (Wegge, van Dick, Fisher, Wecking and Moltzen 2006) and workers' job satisfaction (van Knippenberg and van Schie 2000). With globalization and increased numbers of multinational corporations (MNCs), the organizational identification process in an MNC needs to be further investigated. This study examined the organizational identification and culture in a Japanese MNC located in Southeastern United States. One hundred and nineteen American workers participated in the survey that measured workers' levels of organizational identification and ethnocentrism as well as their perceptions regarding management practices, management communication and dimensions of organizational cultures (i.e. people vs. work orientation, open vs. closed system and loose vs. tight control). The results indicated that workers' organizational identification is associated with evaluation process, workers' ...
Applying a social learning theoretical framework to music therapy as a prevention and intervention for bullies and victims of bullying

Abstract Bullying is a growing worldwide problem largely affecting school-aged youth and, to date, there is no music therapy literature specific to bullying. As a result, there is no guidance for applying theoretical frameworks or for developing music therapy interventions for bullies and victims of bullying. After synthesizing the literature and determining the characteristics and behaviors of bullies and victims, the authors applied social learning theory as a framework to conceptualize the behaviors and cognitions of bullies and victims and to design age appropriate music therapy interventions. Based from concepts of social learning theory and existing music therapy research with adolescents, the authors provide suggestions of music therapy interventions for both bullies and victims. It seems that a social learning theory approach to music therapy interventions might represent an appropriate approach to frame treatments for both bullies and the victims of bullying. Prevention and intervention efforts at various age and developmental levels using music therapy may be more engaging, motivating, and effective than prevention and intervention efforts without music. The proposed interventions may be a helpful initiator for music therapists working with school-aged populations on the issues of bullying.
Estimators of the Human Effective Sex Ratio Detect Sex Biases on Different Timescales

Determining historical sex ratios throughout human evolution can provide insight into patterns of genomic variation, the structure and composition of ancient populations, and the cultural factors that influence the sex ratio (e.g., sex-specific migration rates). Although numerous studies have suggested that unequal sex ratios have existed in human evolutionary history, a coherent picture of sex-biased processes has yet to emerge. For example, two recent studies compared human X chromosome to autosomal variation to make inferences about historical sex ratios but reached seemingly contradictory conclusions, with one study finding evidence for a male bias and the other study identifying a female bias. Here, we show that a large part of this discrepancy can be explained by methodological differences. Specifically, through reanalysis of empirical data, derivation of explicit analytical formulae, and extensive simulations we demonstrate that two estimators of the effective sex ratio based on population structure and nucleotide diversity preferentially detect biases that have occurred on different timescales. Our results clarify apparently contradictory evidence on the role of sex-biased processes in human evolutionary history and show that extant patterns of human genomic variation are consistent with both a recent male bias and an earlier, persistent female bias.
Ovastacin, a cortical granule protease, cleaves ZP2 in the zona pellucida to prevent polyspermy

The mouse zona pellucida is composed of three glycoproteins (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3), of which ZP2 is proteolytically cleaved after gamete fusion to prevent polyspermy. This cleavage is associated with exocytosis of cortical granules that are peripherally located subcellular organelles unique to ovulated eggs. Based on the cleavage site of ZP2, ovastacin was selected as a candidate protease. Encoded by the single-copy Astl gene, ovastacin is an oocyte-specific member of the astacin family of metalloendoproteases. Using specific antiserum, ovastacin was detected in cortical granules before, but not after, fertilization. Recombinant ovastacin cleaved ZP2 in native zonae pellucidae, documenting that ZP2 was a direct substrate of this metalloendoprotease. Female mice lacking ovastacin did not cleave ZP2 after fertilization, and mouse sperm bound as well to Astl-null two-cell embryos as they did to normal eggs. Ovastacin is a pioneer component of mouse cortical granules and plays a definitive role in the postfertilization block to sperm binding that ensures monospermic fertilization and successful development.
Fission yeast Dma1 requires RING domain dimerization for its ubiquitin ligase activity and mitotic checkpoint function

In fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe), the E3 ubiquitin ligase Dma1 delays cytokinesis if chromosomes are not properly attached to the mitotic spindle. Dma1 contains a C-terminal RING domain, and we have found that the Dma1 RING domain forms a stable homodimer. Although the RING domain is required for dimerization, residues in the C-terminal tail are also required to help form or stabilize the dimeric structure because mutation of specific residues in this region disrupts Dma1 dimerization. Further analyses showed that Dma1 dimerization is required for proper localization at spindle pole bodies and the cell division site, E3 ligase activity, and mitotic checkpoint function. Thus, Dma1 forms an obligate dimer via its RING domain, which is essential for efficient transfer of ubiquitin to its substrate(s). This study further supports the mechanistic paradigm that many RING E3 ligases function as RING dimers.
Gain modeling for in-fiber distributed feedback lasers using recursive Green's functions

The need to miniaturize traditional optical devices and to incorporate them into a fiber environment has led to the study of in-fiber lasers with doped fiber cores and distributed- feedback grating cavities. This paper implements a recursive Green's function approach to model the threshold gain for distributed feedback in-fiber lasers. It is shown that the Dyson equation based model, which was originally applied to diode lasers, can also be used to model distributed feedback fiber lasers. A one-dimensional recursive Green's function process using Dyson's equation is used to obtain threshold gains and resonant frequencies for in-fiber, distributed feedback lasers. The use of Dyson's equation allows exact solutions to arbitrary accuracy for any grating shape. The recursive Green's function process allows rapid calculation of periodic or uniform structures of any size, yet does not easily yield the electric field values inside the grating structure. Also, the recursive method is easily applied to chirped gratings and phase sections between grating pairs, and can be extended to higher orders.
The role of pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase in pyruvate synthesis during autotrophic growth by the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway

Pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA and CO(2). The catalytic proficiency of this enzyme for the reverse reaction, pyruvate synthase, is poorly understood. Conversion of acetyl-CoA to pyruvate links the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of autotrophic CO(2) fixation to the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, which in these autotrophic anaerobes is the stage for biosynthesis of all cellular macromolecules. The results described here demonstrate that the Clostridium thermoaceticum PFOR is a highly efficient pyruvate synthase. The Michaelis-Menten parameters for pyruvate synthesis by PFOR are: V(max) = 1.6 unit/mg (k(cat) = 3.2 s(-1)), K(m)(Acetyl-CoA) = 9 micrometer, and K(m)(CO(2)) = 2 mm. The intracellular concentrations of acetyl-CoA, CoASH, and pyruvate have been measured. The predicted rate of pyruvate synthesis at physiological concentrations of substrates clearly is sufficient to support the role of PFOR as a pyruvate synthase in vivo. Measurements of its k(cat)/K(m) values demonstrate that ferredoxin is a highly efficient electron carrier in both the oxidative and reductive reactions. On the other hand, rubredoxin is a poor substitute in the oxidative direction and is inept in donating electrons for pyruvate synthesis.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): posttreatment follow-up care among Latina and non-Latina White women

Background There is a lack of information about posttreatment care among patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This study compares posttreatment care by ethnicity–language and physician specialty among Latina and White women with DCIS.
Octonions, G2 symmetry, generalized self-duality and supersymmetries in dimensions D ⩽ 8

We establish N = (1/8,1) supersymmetric Yang-Mills vector multiplet with generalized self-duality in euclidian eight-dimensions with the original full SO(8) Lorentz covariance reduced to SO(7). The key ingredient is the usage of octonion structure constants made compatible with SO(7) covariance and chirality in 8D. By a simple dimensional reduction together with extra constraints, we derive N = 1/8+7/8 supersymmetric self-dual vector multiplet in 7D with the full SO(7) Lorentz covariance reduced to G2. We find that extra constraints needed on fields and supersymmetry parameter are not obtained from a simple dimensional reduction from 8D. We conjecture that other self-dual supersymmetric theories in lower dimensions D = 6 and 4 with respective reduced global Lorentz covariances such as SU(3)⊂SO(6) and SU(2)⊂SO(4) can be obtained in a similar fashion.
METABOLIC STUDIES ON EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC THYROIDITIS.

The relationship between the patterns of incorporation of 125I in the thyroid and serum and the pathological changes in the gland is described in experimental allergic thyroiditis, 3–6 weeks after a single immunizing dose of homologous thyroid extract in Freund's adjuvant. At 3–4 weeks, reduced thyroid 125I uptake, low or normal labeled serum iodothyronine and normal serum 125Iiodoalbumin levels were found. Pathological changes at this time showed intense mononuclear infiltration with acinar invasion and disruption and focal hyperplasia, while the residual uninvolved acini appeared inactive. At 5–6 weeks after immunization, thyroid 125I uptake, labeled serum iodothyronine and 126I-iodoalbumin were elevated, and free labeled DIT was present at times in the serum and thyroid. 125I incorporation into the microsomal fraction was elevated at the expense of the supernatant fraction of the thyroid. The pathological appearance continued to be extensive inflammatory infiltration, but all acini showed hyperplasia. ...
Brain potentials reflect meaning in language

Abstract Over the past twenty years much has been learned about the activities of the human brain that are time-locked to specific cognitive processes. These studies have employed computerized averaging techniques to extract the phasic voltage fluctuations in the EEG (termed event-related brain potentials or ERPs) that accompany focused attention, aspects of perception, recognition and decisior making 1–3 . The focus of this article is a recent series of studies that suggest the semantic context in which a word is presented influences the brain's response to the word. These results provide clues about the neural mechanisms that influence the rate and accuracy with which words are comprehended 4 .
Electron distribution, bonding, and J(Si-H) NMR coupling constant in (η5-C5H5)(CO)2MnHSiCl3: The molecular orbital view

Density functional calculations with extended Slater-type basis sets show that the NMR J(Si−H) coupling constant in (η5-C5H5)(CO)2MnHSiCl3 is dominated by contributions, of opposite sign, from two ...
Dual currency boards : a proposal for currency stability

This paper shows that extending the convertibility guarantee of the traditional currency board to a second reserve currency brings about an automatic, market-driven change of the peg when the initial reserve currency appreciates beyond a specified level. The dual currency board thus maintains the advantages of a hard peg, but avoids the economic difficulties associated with the link to an overvalued reserve currency. As an added benefit, the system has the potential to promote global currency stability, with the reserves of the dual currency board country acting as a buffer stock to the exchange cross-rate of the chosen reserve currencies.
Impact of an immunohistochemistry-based universal screening protocol for Lynch syndrome in endometrial cancer on genetic counseling and testing.

Abstract Objective Evaluate effects of a Lynch syndrome universal screening protocol in newly diagnosed endometrial cancers on subsequent genetic counseling (GC) and germline testing (GT) referral and acceptance rates. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent a hysterectomy for endometrial cancer at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO between 1/1/2011 and 12/31/2013 (n=637). An immunohistochemistry-based (IHC) universal screening protocol for Lynch syndrome was initiated on 12/17/2012. The cohorts consisted of women presenting prior to (Pre-Em-USP; n=395) and those presenting following (Em-USP; n=242) initiation of the universal screening protocol. GC and GT referrals were based on risk factors and/or IHC results. Comparisons were made using the Fisher's exact test and the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results A greater proportion of individuals in the Em-USP cohort underwent GT than in Pre-Em-USP (9.1% vs 4.8%, p Conclusions Implementation of an IHC-based universal screening protocol for LS in endometrial cancer leads to higher acceptance of genetic counseling and higher rates of genetic testing compared to referral based on risk factors alone.
Fluorine-and siloxane-containing polymers for supercritical carbon dioxide lithography

Supercritical carbon dioxide has emerged as an environmentally friendly solvent for processing selected polymer and molecular glass photoresists at very high resolution. This article describes recent successes in the lithographic patterning of fluorine- and siloxane-containing polymers using supercritical carbon dioxide as a developer solvent. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Fertile and sterile frond segments of the lyginopterid seed fern Feraxotheca

Abstract Fertile and sterile frond segments of the lyginopterid seed fern Feraxotheca culcitaus are described. In both the fertile and sterile specimen three orders of frond axes are borne alternately and in the same plane. Antepenultimate and penultimate frond axes are characterized by a C-shaped vascular bundle and numerous canals containing a golden-colored material in the fossilized condition. Synangia with only four sporangia demonstrate radial symmetry; bilateral symmetry is present in larger synangia. Pinnules possess dichotomous venation, with a single vein entering each lobe of the deeply incised lamina. A single canal occurs below each vein, and vein ends have an amplified vascular bundle. Morphologically Feraxotheca compares most closely with the compression genus Crossotheca . The morphology of the vascular bundle in the largest pinna is similar to a Lower Carboniferous specimen of Rhodea .
A two-stage stochastic program for scheduling and allocating cross-trained workers

A two-stage stochastic program is developed for scheduling and allocating cross-trained workers in a multi-department service environment with random demands. The first stage corresponds to scheduling days-off over a time horizon such as a week or month. The second stage is the recourse action that deals with allocating available workers at the beginning of a day to accommodate realized demands. After the general two-stage model is formulated, a special case is introduced for computational testing. The testing helps quantify the value of cross-training as a function of problem characteristics. Results show that cross-training can be more valuable than perfect information, especially when demand uncertainty is high.
The political nature of the colloquialism, “a real job”: Implications for organizational socialization

This study of the colloquialism, “a real job,” challenges previous assumptions about work socialization. It extends theoretical approaches by situating the stage model of work socialization within a larger context of communication. In the current study, college students explain the meaning of the colloquialism by writing personal narratives. An interpretive analysis probes the ontology of work and the political socializing nature of the colloquialism.
Anthropological approaches to property law and economics.

This paper confronts law and economics approaches to property with empirical and theoretical insights from legal anthropology. It is argued that law and economics scholars have given little attention to the elaboration of a comparative analytical framework with which to describe and analyze property rights systems. Property is dealt with mainly in the sphere of private law and in the synchronic dimension. Consequently, little attention is given to the political nature of (public) property rights and to processes of inheritance. Moreover, its methodological (individualist) assumptions leave little room for the analysis of the interrelations between individual interactions and social change, in particular in plural legal property systems. The normative and teleological orientation of law and economics are quite different from legal anthropology, an academic specialism primarily devoted to description, analysis and cautious theoretical generalization. It is concluded that law and economics is more an ‘economic jurisprudence’ than a social scientific study of law in society.
Characterization of a novel hexameric repeat DNA sequence in the promoter of the immediate early gene, IEX-1, that mediates 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-associated IEX-1 gene repression

1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3)(1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)), the active metabolite of vitamin D(3), mediates anti-proliferative effects in cells by regulating the expression of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)-responsive genes. The expression of the proliferation-promoting Immediate Early gene X-1 (IEX-1) is reduced by 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) through unknown mechanisms. Here we report the presence of a novel inhibitory hexameric repeat DNA response element in the promoter of the human IEX-1 gene that mediates 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)-associated IEX-1 gene repression. To localize a vitamin D sensitive DNA response element we transfected the keratinocyte-like cell line, HaCaT, (referred as HaCaT) with a series of plasmids containing full-length and truncated IEX-1 promoter elements fused to the luciferase reporter gene in the absence or presence of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3), and we performed electrophoretic gel mobility assays in the presence of receptors for 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) (vitamin D receptor, VDR) and 9-cis-retinoic acid (RXRalpha). We mapped a negative response element between nt -405 and -391(15 bp) of theIEX-1 promoter (5'-TGAACC AGG GAGTCA-3') that mediates transcriptional inhibition in response to 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) and which requires expression of both nuclear receptors for 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) and 9-cis-retinoic acid. Our data indicate that the physiological repression of IEX-1 gene expression by 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) is directly mediated by nuclear VDR/RXRalpha heterodimers through a specific transcriptional element.
Key for the recognition of physiographic provinces from topographic maps

For several years it has been felt that there were great advantages to be found in the use in teaching of the special blue and brown prints of topographic maps issued by the United States Geological Survey. These maps, which give the contours and water but which do not show any of the culture, are available for many of the quadrangles. Among the advantages of these maps is the fact that topographic forms, which are often masked or rendered inconspicuous by the culture, are more clearly seen in their true relationship to the surrounding country. An example of this may be observed on the Coatesville Quadrangle, Pennsylvania-Delaware. On the regular map the city of Coatesville and the four-track road-bed of the Pennsylvania Railroad partially obscure the topography of the Chester Valley, but on the map of the same quadrangle without the culture the long narrow valley is readily seen and is the most conspicuous topographic feature. If maps are to be used as a means of picturing topography, the clearer the map the more satisfactory it becomes.
Generalized Theory of Acoustic Propagation in Porous Dissipative Media

The theory of acoustic propagation in porous media is extended to include anisotropy,viscoelasticity, and solid dissipation. A more refined analysis of the relative motion of the fluid in the pores is also developed by introducing the concept of viscodynamic operational tensor. The nature of this operator is analyzed by applying variational and Lagrangian methods. Viscoelasticity and solid dissipation are introduced by applying the correspondence principle as derived from thermodynamics in earlier work by the author. Various dissipative models are discussed and the corresponding operators and relaxation spectra are derived. The physical chemistry of the multiphase porous medium including surface effects lies within the scope of the thermodynamic theory. The nature of thermoelastic dissipation and electrokinetic effects in relation to the thermodynamic theory is also brought out.
Decomposition program for allocating interstage storage along an automatic production line

Abstract A computer program called decomposition is presented for generating an approximate solution for the output rate of a serial, synchronized, automatic production line. Each pair of consecutive machines in the production line is separated by a storage buffer. Each machine is assumed to be subject to random failure if it is up or random repair if it is down each time that parts are transferred. The program can be used to allocate a fixed total storage capacity to the buffers between machines so as to maximize the steady state output rate. Decomposition is an iterative algorithm which requires only a small fraction of the computer time and memory needed by an exact solution. Although the accuracy of the approximate solution decreases as the line is lengthened, the accuracy increases as the total storage capacity of the production line increases. Approximate solutions can be obtained for lines which are too large to be treated by exact methods.