cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factor-dependent archaeal transcription termination

RNA polymerase activity is regulated by nascent RNA sequences, DNA template sequences, and conserved transcription factors. Transcription factors promoting initiation and elongation have been characterized in each domain, but transcription termination factors have been identified only in bacteria and eukarya. Here we describe euryarchaeal termination activity (Eta), the first archaeal termination factor capable of disrupting the transcription elongation complex (TEC), detail the rate of and requirements for Eta-mediated transcription termination, and describe a role for Eta in transcription termination in vivo. Eta-mediated transcription termination is energy-dependent, requires upstream DNA sequences, and disrupts TECs to release the nascent RNA to solution. Deletion of TK0566 (encoding Eta) is possible, but results in slow growth and renders cells sensitive to DNA damaging agents. Our results suggest that the mechanisms used by termination factors in archaea, eukarya, and bacteria to disrupt the TEC may be conserved, and that Eta stimulates release of stalled or arrested TECs.
Isotype-switch competent anti-insulin B cells promote autoimmune diabetes despite functional silencing

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the autoimmune destruction of insulin producing beta cells, leading to chronic hyperglycemia and a lifelong need for exogenous inulin. In humans, T1D can be predicted by the emergence of multiple, islet autoantibodies years before the onset of clinical symptoms, highlighting an early breach in B cell tolerance that is central to disease development. Studies using a transgenic mouse model with increased frequencies of insulin-specific B cells (V H 125 SD /B6) have demonstrated that these pathogenic B cells are functionally silenced in the B6 mouse. However, mechanisms of tolerance induced by transgenes are often reversed when introduced onto autoimmune backgrounds. To determine whether an autoimmune background alone is necessary to reverse tolerance in T1D, the V H 125 SD transgene was introduced into the NOD mouse (V H 125 SD /NOD). Unexpectedly, despite their ability to accelerate disease progression and clear capacity to promote pathogenic inflammatory responses, insulin-specific B cells remained functionally silent (unable to mount antibody or proliferative responses) in the NOD mouse. Together, these results suggest that it is a degree of functional impairment, and not an overt breach in tolerance, that drives autoimmunity in the NOD mouse.
The evolution of immunization waiver education in Michigan: A qualitative study of vaccine educators.

Abstract Background In 2015, Michigan implemented an education requirement for parents who requested nonmedical exemptions from school or daycare immunization mandates. Michigan required parents to receive education from public health staff, unlike other states, whose vaccine education requirements could be completed online or at physicians’ offices. Methods and Findings Results of focus group interviews with 39 of Michigan’s vaccine waiver educators, conducted during 2016 and 2017, were analyzed to identify themes describing educators’ experiences of waiver education. The core theme that emerged from the data was that educators changed their perception of the purpose of waiver education, from convincing vaccine-refusing parents to vaccinate their children to promoting more diffuse and forward-looking goals. Conclusions Michigan, and other communities that require vaccine waiver education, ought to investigate whether and how waiver education contributes to public health goals other than short-term vaccination compliance. Research shows that education requirements can decrease nonmedical exemption rates by discouraging some parents from applying for exemptions, but further studies are needed to identify ways in which waiver education can promote other public health goals, while minimizing costs and burdens on staff.
Adaptivity and Optimism: An Improved Exponentiated Gradient Algorithm

We present an adaptive variant of the exponentiated gradient algorithm. Leveraging the optimistic learning framework of Rakhlin & Sridharan (2012), we obtain regret bounds that in the learning from experts setting depend on the variance and path length of the best expert, improving on results by Hazan & Kale (2008) and Chiang et al. (2012), and resolving an open problem posed by Kale (2012). Our techniques naturally extend to matrix-valued loss functions, where we present an adaptive matrix exponentiated gradient algorithm. To obtain the optimal regret bound in the matrix case, we generalize the Follow-the-Regularized-Leader algorithm to vector-valued payoffs, which may be of independent interest.
An Anthropological Bioethics: Hermeneutical or Critical? Commentary on Elliott

Calls for a hermeneutical model for bioethics have appeared with some frequency over the past decade and have usually levelled two criticisms at standard forms of bioethics in the name of two different kinds of particularity. One is that abstract principles are too indeterminate to resolve cases, whose particularity demands something like Aristotelian phronesis. The other is that bioethics has not done justice to the particularity of cultures, whose moral and relevant nonmoral beliefs may differ significantly from those held by Western philosophers. Since I believe standard bioethicists have responded to some extent to the first form of particularity, I will begin this response by sorting out what is legitimate in Carl Elliott’s criticism against standard bioethics from what I believe is a confusion of these two types of particularity. However, I will also show how Elliott voices a third hermeneutical criticism of standard bioethics that is less frequently heard: that standard bioethics ignores the thicker visions of human dignity and the meaning of life that “therapies of the self”—those medical interventions that have the capacity to alter basic features of individual identity—call into question. Having set up Elliott’s basic position vis-a-vis standard bioethics, I will then point out what I believe is at stake in his central argument and will suggest both a revision in Elliott’s hermeneutical model and its completion by a critical approach. I will conclude by pointing out some difficulties in determining what role the anthropological bioethicist would play and by suggesting a possible role.
INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION ON PRECIPITATION IN SEMI-ARID CLIMATES

A statistical-climatological study was made of whether the phenomenal growth of irrigation in the Great Plains of North America has had an appreciable effect on the climate of the region. The analysis procedures have been primarily that of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) and Trend Surface analysis. These methods of pattern analyses indicate the presence of rainfall anomalies in the irrigated areas during wet months as opposed to dry and moderate months. An exception to this finding is the month of June in which the anomalies occur in all three strata of years (dry, moderate and wet). Also, the anomalies are confined to the summer months as opposed to the spring and fall months. At this early stage of the analyses, it is speculated that under very dry conditions in this climate, the addition of water vapor cannot be realized in the production of clouds and precipitation.
Human radiation tolerance

The acute radiation syndrome in man is clinically bounded by death at high dose levels and by the prodromal syndrome of untoward physiological effects at minimal levels of clinically effective exposure. As in lower animals, man experiences principally three acute modes of death from radiation exposure (Bond et al., 1965). These are known collectively as the lethal radiation syndromes: central nervous system death, gastrointestinal death, and hematopoietic death. The effect of multiple exposure on lethality, the effect of multiple exposure on hematopoietic recovery, and quantitative aspects of cell and tissue repair are discussed.
Detection algorithm for turbulent interfaces and large-scale structures in intermittent flows

Abstract A robust algorithm is introduced for detection of large-scale coherent structures in transitional and intermittent flows that feature turbulent/non-turbulent (T/NT) interfaces. The algorithm is applicable the instantaneous flow fields of wall-bounded and free shear flows, and can effectively identify coherent events in the velocity or vorticity fields, or sweep/ejection motions. A database from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of transitional boundary layer is used to develop and demonstrate the capabilities of the algorithm which consists of three steps. The first is identification of the T/NT interface by comparing the normalized vorticity magnitude to a threshold value that is independent of the Reynolds number. The vorticity normalization is specifically designed to be applicable in transitional flows, where regions of the flow can host juxtaposed regions of laminar and turbulent flow. With the definition of the T/NT interface, conditional statistics are computed and perturbation quantities are defined relative to their respective conditional means. Second, the influence of the small-scale turbulence is excluded by applying an anisotropic Gaussian filter. The filter size is determined from the spatial characteristics of the small-scale vortical motions. In the third step, one-dimensional cores and two-dimensional surfaces within the flow structures of interest are identified from local extrema in the fields, and are tracked as Lagrangian objects. Using the algorithm, the population trends and advection speeds of large-scale sweep/ejection events are computed in the transitional boundary layer. Two additional flow configurations are also considered: turbulent jet flow emerging from a circular nozzle and the turbulent flow in a channel with a wavy surface.
Using facility-level emissions data to estimate the technical potential of alternative thermal sources to meet industrial heat demand

Abstract Industry is frequently highlighted as the world’s largest energy-using end-use sector. More specifically, the demand for heat drives much of the demand for energy and fossil fuels in the industrial sector. We conduct a top-down analysis to characterize historical energy and fossil fuel use in 14 top-GHG-emitting industries in the United States, their heat demand requirements, and the potential to substitute heat from geothermal, solar thermal (including concentrating technologies), and small modular nuclear reactors to meet these needs while reducing fossil-fuel use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We base this analysis on publicly-available facility-level GHG emissions and fuel-combustion data, in addition to assumed requirements for process temperature, to demonstrate the potential value to industry energy analysts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program data. We estimate on a county level that the adoption of these alternative heat sources could have reduced 2015 fossil-fuel use by approximately 31% and combustion GHG emissions by approximately 24%. The most extensive substitution opportunities are in the ethyl alcohol manufacturing and wet corn-milling industries; petroleum refining represents the largest absolute emissions mitigation potential. This initial top-down analysis of substitution potential does not consider more detailed technical factors, including resource availability that will influence the actual deployment of alternative energy technologies. The analysis also does not consider the economic or market factors, including the expected cost to build and operate these generators. We do assume process byproducts that are extensively used for combustion fuels would not be good candidates for substitution for alternative energy generators. Based on these caveats, our analysis could be considered a top-range estimate for this mix of heat generators and industry heat demands. Any subsequent analysis of these alternate energy sources should increase the level of technical, economic, and policy detail.
Factors affecting group creativity: lessons from musical ensembles

Understanding creativity is of great interest to anyone who seeks to train, cultivate, or understand this complex human faculty. One phenomenon of continued interest is how groups of individuals effectively engage in acts of creativity. We outline key concepts in creative cognition in individuals, as these processes are the foundation, on which group dynamics act. Next, we focus our discussion on musical groups, such as jazz improvisers and classical chamber music ensembles. We argue that musical ensembles offer a model system with which we can study creativity in the setting of both artistic expression and creative cognition. The neuroscience literature suggests that musical performance relies on similar brain networks as other creative domains and that, subject to intervening variables such as emotional context and group coordination, increased domain expertise results in reduced executive processes during creative acts. We tie these findings together using an interactionist model of organizational creativity and suggest directions for future research.
The Future of DNA Sequencing: Methods and Applications

The Human Genome Project entails the determination of the DNA sequence of a set of samples that will represent a single human genome. The identity of the particular base, A, T, C or G, at each position along 24 pieces of DNA encompassing one example of each of the human (H. sapiens) chromosomes, will be revealed. A total of about 3 billion bases will be identified. Along the way, the DNA sequence of several model genomes will be determined including a worm, C. elegans, a fly, D. melanogaster, a yeast, S. cerevisiae, and a bacterium, E. coli. All of these model genomes together amount to less than 20% of one human genome. In addition, depending on the efficiency and cost of the methods finally employed for most of the sequencing, we will also see revealed some or all of the DNA sequence of the common laboratory mouse, M. musculus. It is clear that, with the technology currently in hand, it will be possible to obtain the set of fragments needed for this DNA sequencing effort (this process is called physical mapping) and then read the sequence of each of these fragments for a total cost approximating the original estimate of $3 billion.
SuperTIGER-2 2018 Flight Payload Recovery and Preliminary Instrument Assessment

The SuperTIGER (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) experiment was launched for the second time from the Long Duration Balloon (LDB) site near McMurdo Station, Antarctica on December 20, 2018 at 1:36 AM NZDT. The balloon reached a peak altitude of ∼79,300 ft before it began to descend, and the flight had to be terminated after just over six hours aloft. The payload landed at 8:17 AM NZDT approximately 150 miles from McMurdo Station at 75.80 S and 161.68 E. Satellite imagery of the site revealed that it was in a crevasse field, but a Twin Otter reconnaissance flight showed none in the immediate vicinity. A subsequent site survey by a team flown in by helicopter with ground penetrating radar was able to flag a safe zone including helicopter landing sites. The SuperTIGER-2 payload was recovered in two days with two Bell 212 helicopters followed by one day with a Basler, which involved transferring the payload to a safe fixed wing landing site roughly two miles away in three helicopter sling loads. After return to the LDB site the instrument modules were reassembled, rewired and tested prior to their being shipped north. The instrument was found to be in overall good condition, with all testable electronics channels working, and minimal mechanical damage. SuperTIGER-2 could be refurbished to fly again as early as this next Antarctic season.
Systematic Literature Review on Social Network Analysis

Context: Social network analysis refers to the measuring, and mapping of flows, and interrelationships between computers, people, URLs, organizations, groups, and other linked knowledge or information entities. SNA is a strategic technique to investigate the social structures. It can be implemented in many fields like computing, mathematics, statistics and engineering. Furthermore, SNA has its influence in the information sciences and information retrieval techniques. Now Information scientists study and analyze the publications, citation, co-citation networks, social collaboration networks and many other forms of interrelated social networks. Previously, there exists several research done regarding SNA, thus need to investigate, and present key additions of SNA to research fraternity. Objectives: In this paper, we reviewed of all Social Network sites with their growth, techniques, types, variations, measurements and unit of analysis in one platform. Methods: Moreover, we discussed different methodologies and terminologies related to SNA and summaries the researches contributions. The study conducted systematic literature review for SNA. Results: The study concluded that extensive use of social networking sites in public and organizations has increased significantly; therefore, more research is needed to explore this vast subject. Secondly, it can be concluded that there is a need of improvement in social network like missing data, visualization, uncertainty, finding the shortest path, because of security risks there should be a team who monitors and manages the social networks so that for the investigators, all the necessary information should not be distributed on web servers
An analysis of topic areas and topic trends in the Community Mental Health Journal from 1965 through 1977

A content analysis of all (N=604) published articles in the Community Mental Health Journal from 1965 through 1977 was performed (a) to provide a cross-sectional view of the community mental health field, and (b) to identify topic trends over time. Sixty-one content categories were used to classify topic areas. Results revealed major and growing emphases on organizing for the delivery and measuring of the effects of mental health ssrvice systems. Topics found to be increasing in relative frequency over time included training, measurement and research methodology, and intervention; those decreasing included planning and needs assessment, therapy, and suicide. Topic areas were compared with key characteristics mf the field. Topic trends were interpreted in terms of open systems theory.
Evaluation of alkylamines and stationary phases to improve LC–MS of oligonucleotides

This study evaluated four bridged-ethylene hybrid (BEH) columns containing C18 (130 A), peptide C18 (300 A), phenyl, or a mixed-mode charged surface hybrid (CSH C18 ) using a wide range of antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics. The BEH C18 , peptide, and phenyl columns were all capable of providing significant retention of oligonucleotide samples across multiple ion-pairing systems using alkylamines and 1,1,1,3,3,3,-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). The retention of the oligonucleotides varied depending on the choice of alkylamine, with the order of retention being dimethylcyclohexylamine > diisopropylethylamine > triethylamine. The selectivity of these columns for several closely eluting impurities was similar. Although overall the C18 , peptide, and phenyl columns were all found to be capable of analyzing oligonucleotide therapeutics, the phenyl column was found to be the most retentive and the C18 column provided the best peak shape. The CSH C18 column was found to be degraded by the alkylamine-HFIP mobile phase despite the mobile phase being within the pH stability range of the column.
Estimating the Value of Employee Stock Option Portfolios and Their Sensitivities to Price and Volatility

The costs associated with compiling data on employee stock option portfolios is a substantial obstacle in investigating the impact of stock options on managerial incentives, accounting choice, financing decisions, and the valuation of equity. We present an accurate method of estimating option portfolio value and the sensitivities of option portfolio value to stock price and stock-return volatility that is easily implemented using data from only the current year’s proxy statement or annual report. This method can be applied to either executive stock option portfolios or to firm-wide option plans. In broad samples of actual and simulated CEO option portfolios, we show that these proxies capture more than 99% of the variation in option portfolio value and sensitivities. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the degree of bias in these proxies varies with option portfolio characteristics, and is most severe in samples of CEOs with a large proportion of out-of-the-money options. However, the proxies’ explanatory power remains above 95% in all subsamples.
Generalizing the Chiral Self-Assembly of Spheres and Tetrahedra to Non-Spherical and Polydisperse Molecules in (C70)x(C60)1‒x(SnI4)2

We describe the spontaneous chiral self-assembly of C70 with SnI4 as well as a mixture of C60 and C70 with SnI4. Macroscopic single crystals with the formula (C70)x(C60)1-x(SnI4)2 (x = 0-1) are reported. C60, which is spherical, and C70, which is ellipsoidal, form a solid solution in these crystals, and the cubic lattice parameter of the chiral phase linearly increases as x grows from 0 to 1 in accordance with Vegard's law. Our results demonstrate that nonspherical particles and polydispersity are not an impediment to the growth of chiral crystals from high-symmetry achiral precursors, providing a route to assemble achiral particles including colloidal nanocrystals and engineered nanostructures into chiral materials without the need to use external templates or forces.
Methadone and buprenorphine treatment in United States jails and prisons: lessons from early adopters

Aims To identify implementation barriers and facilitators to the adoption and implementation of programs that provide opioid agonist treatments (OAT) with methadone and buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder in jails and prisons in the United States DESIGN: Qualitative analysis: semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic analyses of transcripts and notes were done using a hybrid inductive/deductive coding approach SETTING: Jails and prisons in the United States PARTICIPANTS: From August 2019 to January 2020, we conducted 20 key informant interviews with 35 individuals representing 19 carceral systems that both initiate and maintain OAT. Measurements Interviews covered four domains: (1) program adoption; (2) policy influence on implementation; (3) program structure; and (4) program outcomes. Findings Stigma among staff, particularly medical staff, challenged program adoption, but reduced over time as staff were exposed to the program. Regulations on OAT dispensation, such as licensing requirements and prescribing limits, were key challenges to program implementation and shaped program structure. Dispensing medication required significant staff, time and space. Facilities were further challenged to overcome stigma and concerns about diversion, as OAT medication is often treated as contraband in carceral settings. Some systems deviated from evidence-based treatment by limiting OAT dosage to low levels, requiring counseling for participation and requiring detoxification before medication initiation. Despite these challenges, early adopters felt strongly that other jails and prisons in the United States should provide OAT and that legislation and litigation may soon force OAT expansion in these carceral settings. Conclusions Despite identifying regulatory and logistical challenges, early adopters of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) programs in US jails and prisons provide examples that demonstrate that OAT programs can successfully be implemented in carceral settings with tailoring to the specific context.
Enroller Experience and Parental Familiarity of Disease Influence Participation in a Pediatric Trial.

Introduction: Acquiring parental consent is critical to pediatric clinical research, especially in interventional trials. In this study we investigated demographic, clinical, and environmental factors associated with likelihood of parental permission for enrollment in a study of therapies for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children. Methods: We analyzed data from patients and parents who were approached for enrollment in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) Fluid Therapies Under Investigation in DKA (FLUID) trial at one major participating center. We determined the influence of various factors on patient enrollment, including gender, age, distance from home to hospital, insurance status, known vs new onset of diabetes, glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c), DKA severity, gender of the enroller, experience of the enroller, and time of enrollment. Patients whose parents consented to participate were compared to those who declined participation using bivariable and multivariable analyses controlling for the enroller.Results: A total of 250 patient/parent dyads were approached; 177 (71%) agreed to participate, and 73 (29%) declined. Parents of patients with previous episodes of DKA agreed to enroll more frequently than those with a first DKA episode (94.3% for patients with 1-2 previous DKA episodes, 92.3% for > 2 previous episodes, vs 64.9% for new onset diabetes and 63.2% previously diagnosed but no previous DKA). Participation was also more likely with more experienced enrollers (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] of participation for an enroller with more than two years’ experience vs less than two years: 2.46 [1.53, 3.97]). After adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, significant associations between participation and both DKA history and enroller experience remained. Patient age, gender, distance of home from hospital, glycemic control, insurance status, and measures of DKA severity were not associated with likelihood of participation.Conclusion: Familiarity with the disease process (previously diagnosed diabetes and previous experience with DKA) and experience of the enroller favorably influenced the likelihood of parental permission for enrollment in a study of DKA in children.
A Review of “Choosing to Lead: Understanding Foreign Policy Entrepreneurs”

The U.S. Congress may be the most systematically studied institution in American politics, and the behavior of members of Congress, especially their voting behavior, is some of the most chronicled ...
Glucose as a regulator of glycogen phosphorylase un rat diaphragm: I. Effect of glucose and related compounds of phosphorylase and glycogen levels☆

Abstract 1. 1. Incubation of isolated rat diaphrahm in the presence of glucose resulted in significantly lower levels of phosphorylase a , as compared to control samples incubated without glucose. Total phosphorylase (defined as phosphorylase a plus phosphorylase b) was not significantly affected. The effect of glucose on phosphorylase a was found to be specific, as evidence by the fact that other sugars had little or no effect on the enzyme. 2. 2. Glc-6- P and Glc-1- P also caused a decreased in diaphragm phoshorylase a . The esters were found to be more potent on a molar basis than glucose. In contrast, Fru-1–6- P 2 caused an increase in phosphorylase a levels. None of the hexose phosphates had a significant effect on total phosphorylase. 3. 3. Tissue glycogen was markedly depleted during incubation in the absence of glucose. Normal tissue glycogen levels were maintained or even increased in diaphragms incubated with glucose. Thus, an increased level of phosphorylase a was associated with glycogenolysis, while a decrease in phosphorylase a was associated with a maintenance of normal tissue glycogen. It is suggested that regualtion of glycogen levels by glucose, through an action on phorphorylase a , could be of physicological significance.
Protecting Intrastate Threatened Species: Does the Endangered Species Act Encroach on Traditional State Authority and Exceed the Outer Limits of the Commerce Clause

In the Lopez and Morrison decisions, the Supreme Court for the first time in sixty years found federal statutes exceeded the scope of the Commerce Clause. Both decisions were especially concerned with federal statutes that impinged on areas of traditional state authority such as criminal law. During 2001, in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC), while not directly addressing the scope of the Commerce Clause, the Court's narrow interpretation of the Clean Water Act to exclude regulation of intrastate isolated wetlands reflected its concern that the Corps' broader interpretation would "alter[] the federal-state framework by permitting federal encroachment upon a traditional state power." The Endangered Species Act is likely to raise concerns under a narrow interpretation of the Commerce Clause because the statute regulates numerous intrastate species that have little commercial value and affects individual landowners. This Article contends that, even after Lopez, Morrison, and SWANCC, the Commerce Clause reaches federal regulation of intrastate endangered or threatened species because conservation of such species has traditionally been more a federal than a state function. Additionally, federal regulation of endangered or threatened species does not undermine states' traditional role in regulating non-threatened species. Finally, the preservation of endangered or threatened species serves long-range national economic interests in preserving biodiversity and potentially valuable genetic material that deserve deference from courts even though their exact value is unknowable at the present. Applying a rational basis test, courts should defer to Congress' goal of preserving our genetic and biological heritage as a reasonable policy substantially advancing America's long-term commercial goals. In light of their concurring opinion in Lopez and support for protection of endangered species on private lands in Babbitt v. Sweet Home, the Article suggests that Justices O'Connor and Kennedy are key swing votes who may take a more deferential approach to federal regulation of intrastate endangered species under the Commerce Clause.
Heteropolydeoxynucleotides Synthesized with Terminal Deoxyribonucleotidyltransferase: III. EXAMINATION OF PYRIMIDINE NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCES AFTER ACID DEGRADATION

The nature and relative amounts of the pyrimidine nucleotide sequences which occur in heteropolydeoxynucleotides synthesized with terminal deoxyribonucleotidyltransferase have been determined for the limited class of products containing a single pyrimidine moiety and one or more purine types by the use of acid degradation followed by ion exchange chromatography. The results offer further proof that, in these products, the synthetic reaction is a true copolymerization and that no recognizable order in the sequences is present. The lengths and frequencies of sequences of repeated pyrimidine nucleotide residues in the various copolymers appear to be influenced by the identity of the purine nucleoside triphosphates present during the copolymerization, as well as to the stoichiometry of the reaction mixture.
Dusky-Footed Wood Rats (Neotoma fuscipes) as Reservoirs of Granulocytic Ehrlichiae (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichieae) in Northern California

Dusky-footed wood rats (Neotoma fuscipes) and Peromyscus sp. mice (P. maniculatus and P. truei) were collected from one site in Placer County, one site in Santa Cruz County, and two sites in Sonoma County in northern California. Serum or plasma samples from 260 rodents were tested for antibodies to the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Of these, samples from 25 wood rats (34% of those tested) and 10 (8%) Peromyscus sp. mice were found to be seropositive, but only those from one site. PCR assays targeting the groESL heat shock operon were conducted on all seropositive specimens and a subset of seronegative blood specimens. Ehrlichial DNA was identified in 17 (68%) of the 25 seropositive wood rat blood samples and in 1 of the 10 (10%) Peromyscus sp. specimens. None of 40 seronegative blood samples was PCR positive. Both seropositive and PCR-positive animals were collected during each trapping period. One male tick out of 84 Ixodes pacificus adults collected was PCR positive; samples of Dermacentor occidentalis nymphs and adults were negative. Nucleotide sequences of amplicons from three wood rat blood specimens and from the single PCR-positive tick differed by one and two bases, respectively, from a sequence previously obtained from Ehrlichia equi. At one site in Sonoma County, wood rats had a concurrent high prevalence of seropositivity and PCR positivity, while other sigmodontine rodents collected at the site were only occasionally infected. We suggest that dusky-footed wood rats serve as reservoirs of granulocytic ehrlichial agents in certain areas of northern California. The tick species involved in the transmission of granulocytic ehrlichiae among wood rats remains unknown.
SU-FF-T-410: The Credentialing Process for the NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413 Partial Breast Irradiation Trial

Purpose: Develop a credentialing process for the NSABP B‐39/RTOG 0413 Partial Breast Irradiation (PBI) trial. Method: NSABP B‐39/RTOG 0413, a Phase III trial comparing whole breast irradiation versus PBI (3D conformal radiation therapy (3D‐CRT), MammoSite® and multi‐catheter brachytherapy). For each PBI technique, an institution, radiationoncologist and physicist team must be credentialed. The credentialing verifies that all personnel involved with treatment planning have read the protocol prior to enrolling patients to limit the number of deviations. Credentialing also allows feedback to the team prior to patient treatment to correct any mistakes. Each institution must complete online the knowledge assessment and facility questionnaires and download a PBI technique CT benchmark case. Results: Teams at 308 distinct institutions have submitted applications for credentialing for at least one PBI technique. 733 radiationoncologists applied for 3D‐CRT credentialing, 490 radiationoncologists for MammoSite® and 151 radiationoncologists for multicatheter. Of those applications, 79% became credentialed for 3D‐CRT, 69% for MammoSite®, and 56% for multi‐catheter. Reasons for which a radiationoncologist failed to become credentialed included; incomplete application, incorrect answers on knowledge assessment, treatment planning system could not submit data electronically, and the CT benchmark was not planned per protocol. The first patient enrolled by each institution received a rapid review prior to patient treatment. The next 4 cases received a timely review. These reviews included a dosimetric and clinical review. Currently, this protocol has accrued 880 patients, of which 328 treated with 3D‐CRT, 82 treated with MammoSite, and 31 treated with multi‐catheter brachytherapy. Of the 441 patients treated to date on the PBI arm there have been no dosimetric deviations. Conclusion: The PBI credentialing process has been successful in educating participating facilities and helping to minimize dosimetry errors. Work was supported by PHS grants CA10953 and CA081647 awarded by NCI.
Divalent anion transport in isolated renal tubules.

Inorganic phosphate and sulfate are the major divalent anions in biological fluids at physiological pH. The isolated perfused renal tubule technique has been used to address a number of questions about their renal transport; the purpose of this review is to summarize this information. Initial studies addressed traditional questions about the direction and segmental localization of phosphate and sulfate transport but recent studies approach more fundamental questions about cellular mechanisms and interactions with metabolism. We will review these data and provide models that may be useful as targets for future studies.
Thiazolidinediones inhibit lipoprotein lipase activity in adipocytes.

Abstract The thiazolidinediones troglitazone and BRL 49653 improve insulin sensitivity in humans and animals with insulin resistance. Adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase is an insulin-sensitive enzyme. We examined the effects of thiazolidinediones on lipoprotein lipase expression in adipocytes. When added to 3T3-F442A, 3T3-L1, and rat adipocytes in culture, troglitazone and BRL 49653 inhibited lipoprotein lipase activity. This inhibition was observed at concentrations as low as 0.1 μm and within 2 h after addition of the drug. Lipoprotein lipase activity was inhibited in differentiated adipocytes as well as the differentiating cells. Despite this decrease in enzyme activity, these drugs increased mRNA levels in undifferentiated 3T3-F442A and 3T3-L1 cells and had no effect on mRNA expression or synthesis of lipoprotein lipase in differentiated cells. Western blot analysis showed that these drugs did not affect the mass of the enzyme protein. Lipoprotein lipase activity in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells was not inhibited by troglitazone. Glucose transport, biosynthesis of lipids from glucose or the biosynthesis of proteins were unaffected by thiazolidinediones in differentiated cells, whereas glucose transport and lipid biosynthesis were increased when these drugs were added during differentiation. These results show that troglitazone and BRL 49653 have a specific, post-translational inhibitory effect on lipoprotein lipase in adipocytes, yet they promote lipid accumulation and differentiation in preadipocytes.
The Impact of Budget Goal Difficulty and Promotion Availability on Employee Fraud

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of two organizational variables, budget goal difficulty and promotion availability, on employee fraud (e.g., stealing). Limited research shows that difficult, specific goals result in more unethical behavior than general goals (Schweitzer et al., Acad Manag J 47(3):422–432, 2004). We predict that goal difficulty and promotion availability will interact to affect employee fraud. Specifically, we contend that the availability of promotions will have little, if any, effect on employee fraud under easy goals but have a substantial effect on fraud under extremely difficult goals. To test this prediction, we use an experiment in which participants play the role of production employees. All participants are assigned cost goals and are responsible for reporting costs to the organization. Information asymmetry exists such that the organization is unable to assess whether costs have been reported accurately, and any overstatement of costs directly increases the employee’s compensation at the expense of the organization. The results of our experiment support the prediction, even though the cost goal is not tied to current period compensation (e.g., a mere goal). Our results have implications for academics and practitioners concerned with factors that affect fraud in organizations.
Effects of corn processing method in diets containing sorghum wet distillers grain plus solubles on performance and carcass characteristics of finishing beef cattle and on in vitro fermentation of diets.

Two randomized complete block design experiments with a factorial arrangement of treatments were conducted to study the effects of corn processing method and inclusion of sorghum wet distillers grain plus solubles (SWDGS) in beef cattle finishing diets. In Exp. 1, 160 crossbred steers (primarily British x Continental breeding; initial BW = 397.6 +/- 29.4 kg) were fed diets based on dry-rolled (DRC) or steam-flaked corn (SFC), with or without the inclusion of 15% SWDGS (DM basis). Corn processing x SWDGS interactions were not detected (P > or = 0.20) for performance and most carcass characteristics. The G:F was less (P 0.10) with corn processing method or addition of SWDGS. Overall, these data suggest that the response to 15% SWDGS in finishing diets was not affected by corn processing method, but including 15% SWDGS in finishing diets decreased G:F, IVDMD, and gas production AUC values to approximately the same extent as replacing SFC with DRC.
Effects of membrane steroid modification on human erythrocyte glucose transport

Abstract The partial removal of cholesterol from the human erythrocyte membrane, by contact with lecithin sols, had mixed effects on the transport of d -glucose. When about 8% of the cholesterol was removed, the rate of d -glucose transfer was increased, but as cholesterol was progressively further removed, the transport was inhibited. Replacement of the depleted cholesterol by 3-ketosteroids did not restore the transport activity; but with substitution of steroids containing only a 3β-hydroxy substituent, the rate of glucose transport returned to normal. In some instances, as little as a 2% replacement of the removed cholesterol by 3β-hydroxy steroids was sufficient for full restoration of d -glucose transport. Cholesterol substitution by steroids with a more planar nucleus and a more bulky side chain than cholesterol also aided in the restoration of glucose transfer. The partial removal of cholesterol had no effect on the apparent Km for d -glucose, but excessive membrane cholesterol led to a 4-fold decrease in d -glucose affinity. The extent of transport inhibition by a fixed phloretin treatment was independent of membrane steroid content.
A Hierarchical Approach to Finite Element Modeling of the Human Spine

Finite element modeling has become an important part of biomechanics research in the last 30 years. In particular, virtual experimentation on the spine bypasses several limitations on mechanical testing: any load and constraint may be applied to a finite element model, and experiments may be repeated with slight alterations on the same specimen. Because computer power is still limited, each virtual model is designed with a particular scale in mind. To analyze spinal motion, a motion segment consisting of two or more vertebrae and the connective tissue is modeled. For vertebral strength, a single vertebra, with or without posterior elements, is analyzed. To understand the biomechanics of the cancellous bone and to examine bone remodeling, the individual trabeculae comprising the cancellous bone are examined. These three areas represent the bulk of current research. Scientists also explore whole-spine mechanics and ultrastructural dynamics, but these suffer greatly from a lack of physiological data on the observed phenomena. To a large extent, the spinal physiological loading scenario and the load distribution at the different structural levels are unknown. As in vivo measurement techniques and computational power grow, so will the usefulness of finite element modeling.
Direct diode-pumped continuous-wave near-infrared tunable laser operation of Cr 4+ :forsterite and Cr 4+ :Ca 2 GeO 4

Continuous-wave tunable laser operation of direct diode-pumped Cr4+:Mg2 SiO4 (Cr:forsterite) and Cr4+:Ca2GeO4 (cunyite) crystal were demonstrated. Diode-pumped Cr:forsterite was tunable over the 1236–1300-nm spectral range. The maximum output of 10 mW was measured at 1260 nm for 640 mW of pump power absorbed by the crystal. Diode-pumped laser operation of cunyite was also demonstrated over the 1390–1475-nm range. Free-running 20-mW output was centered at 1410 nm.
Co-ordination complexes of niobium and tantalum XVI. salts of oxy-bis-oxalato niobate (V)

Abstract Crystalline, colourless oxy-bis-oxalato niobates of the formula (I)[NbO(C 2 O 4 ) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] nH 2 O, (n = 3 for M(I) = NH 4 , K; n = 2 for M(I) = NH 4 , Rb, Cs; and Mg[NbO(C 2 O 4 ) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] 2 ·. 8H 2 O, are described. Infrared and Raman spectra in the solid state are reported; these show the presence of the niobyl group, coordinated oxalato ligands and hydrogen-bonded OH groups. Studies in solution, including potentiometric and conductometric measurements, indicate the hydrolysis of the complex niobate and the formation of the [NbO(OH)(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ] aq. −2 anion on dissolution of the salts in water. The course of the proton delocalization, based on the existing coordination polyhedron around the niobium, is discussed.
Epidural hematoma — A ture emergency

Extradural hemorrhage classically follows traumatic rupture of the middle meningeal artery or vein with a transient loss of consciousness and apparent quick return to normal. A "lucid interval" may last as long as a day, but customarily is no longer than two or three hours. During this time, the patient develops signs of increased intracranial pressure. This is caused by the continued accumulation of blood in the extradural space. Trephining of the skull may be life saving.
Modeling Store Choices with Cross-Sectional and Pooled Cross-Sectional Data: A Comparison:

Contrary to many other types of spatial decisions, shopping destination choice behavior is highly repetitive. For the practitioner looking for good predictors of store patronage, for reliable marginal utility estimates and reliable market share predictions, a central concern is with the type of data best suited to the research question, given the existing logistic and financial constraints. Different approaches can be recognized in the literature in which conventional discrete choice models are applied to shopping destination choice problems. In this paper, two of the most common practices are assessed and compared. First, the choice model is estimated with all choices of a relevant destination observed during a certain period of time (pooled cross-sectional data). The alternative approach consists in an estimation with the choice of the destination where the majority of purchases takes place (cross-sectional data). In the particular data set employed here, no evidence is found to support the idea that a ...
Micropatterned methacrylate polymers direct spiral ganglion neurite and Schwann cell growth

Abstract Significant advances in the functional outcomes achieved with cochlear implantation will likely require tissue-engineering approaches to improve the neural prosthesis interface. One strategy is to direct spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) axon growth in a highly organized fashion to approximate or contact stimulating electrodes. Here we assessed the ability of micropatterns induced by photopolymerization in methacrylate (MA) polymer systems to direct cultured neonatal rat SGN neurite growth and alignment of SG Schwann cells (SGSCs). SGN survival and neurite length were comparable among various polymer compositions. Remarkably, there was no significant difference in SGN survival or neurite length between laminin and non-laminin coated MA polymer substrates, suggesting high biocompatibility with SG tissue. Micropatterning with photopolymerization generated microchannels with a ridge periodicity of 50 μm and channel depths of 0.6–1.0 μm. SGN neurites grew within the grooves of the microchannels. These topographies strongly induced alignment of dissociated SGN neurites and SGSCs to parallel the pattern. By contrast, fibroblasts failed to align with the micropattern suggesting cell specific responses to topographical cues. SGN neurites extending from explants turned to parallel the pattern as they encountered the microchannels. The extent of turning was significantly correlated with angle at which the neurite initially encountered the pattern. These results indicate that SGN neurites respond to microtopographical features and that these features can be used to direct neurite growth in a highly organized fashion.
Melding Internal and External Support for School Improvement: How the District Role Changes When Working Closely With External Instructional Support Providers

To support instruction, school districts must provide a wide array of assistance to schools. Broadly speaking, districts play the roles of authority in holding schools accountable for their activities and performance, support in assisting school faculties to build their capacity to better instruct students, and brokerage between schools and outside providers of service and materials. The roles of authority, support, and brokerage typically contend with each other, producing a set of perennial tensions for district leaders. This article examines the influence on these three roles of external support providers working in close partnership with districts on instructional improvement efforts. First, the article reviews the literature on district/provider partnerships for examples of role adjustment. Second, using a case study of a deep partnership between a district and an external provider, this article empirically examines the influence of a district/provider partnership on the balance of district roles. Th...