cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A naturally occurring T14A11 tract blocks nucleosome formation over the human neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-Alu element.

The nature of chromatin organization over Alu repetitive elements is of interest with respect to the maintenance of their transcriptional silencing as well as their potential to influence local chromatin structure. We previously demonstrated that the pattern of nucleosomal organization over Alu elements in native chromatin is specific and similar to the pattern observed with an in vitro reconstituted Alu template. This pattern, distinguished by a nucleosome centered over the 5′-end of the Alu element, is associated with repression of polymerase III-dependent transcription in vitro (Englander, E. W., Wolffe, A. P., and Howard, B. H.(1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 19565-19573; Englander, E. W., and Howard, B. H.(1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 10091-10096). In the current study, additional templates representing both evolutionarily old and young Alu subfamilies were found to direct a similar pattern of nucleosome assembly, consistent with the view that nucleosome positioning in vitro is shared by a majority of Alus. We discovered however, that the specific nucleosome positioning pattern was disrupted over one member of a young Alu subfamily, which recently transposed immediately downstream to a T14A11 sequence in the neurofibromatosis type 1 locus (Wallace, M. R., Andersen, L. B., Saulino, A. M., Gregory, P. E., Glover, T. W., and Collins, F. S.(1991) Nature 353, 864-866). Upon removal of this sequence motif, the expected pattern of assembly was restored to the neurofibromatosis type 1-Alu template. This finding indicates that, at least in vitro, certain sequences can override the propensity for positioning nucleosomes that is inherent to Alu elements. The finding also raises the possibility that a similar situation may occur in vivo, with potential implications for understanding mechanisms by which certain Alu elements may evade chromatin-mediated transcriptional silencing.
Angular distribution of electrons from low-frequency above-threshold ionization

We have measured the angular distribution of electrons produced by microwave ionization of Na in a 9.4-GHz field. Microwave fields of up to 10.5 kV/cm with linear, circular, and elliptical polarizations were generated in a rotatable Fabry-P\'erot cavity. The electron angular distributions obtained are consistent with the predictions of a classical theory of above-threshold ionization in the low-frequency limit.
Extended foster care support during the transition to adulthood: Effect on the risk of arrest

Abstract Youth aging out of the foster care system are at high risk for adult arrests, but providing extended foster care support during the early years of their transition from adolescence to independent adulthood may reduce this risk. This study used survey data from the Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth (N = 732) matched with official arrest data to estimate the potential benefit of providing extended foster care support in reducing the risk of arrest in the early transition period. In addition, other factors related to the risk of arrest for these former foster youth were explored. Event history modeling techniques were used to estimate the impact of extended care on the risk of a first adult arrest. Models were estimated for men and women separately, and for all non-procedural arrests and violent arrests only. Extended care is associated with a lower risk of arrest in the first year, but appears to have a declining effect over time.
Domestic and overseas manufacturing scenarios of silicon-based photovoltaics: Life cycle energy and environmental comparative analysis

While life cycle assessment (LCA) has been recognized as an invaluable tool to assess the energy and environmental profiles of a photovoltaic (PV) system, current LCA studies are limited to Europe and North America. However, today most PV modules are outsourced to and manufactured in non-OECD countries (e.g., China), which have a substantially different degree of industrialization and environmental restriction. To investigate this issue, we perform a comparative LCA between domestic and overseas manufacturing scenarios illustrated by three kinds of silicon-based PV technologies, namely mono-crystalline silicon, multi-crystalline silicon and ribbon silicon. We take into account geographic diversity by utilizing localized inventory data for processes and materials. The energy payback time, energy return on investment and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for both scenarios are calculated and analyzed. Compared to the domestic manufacturing scenario, the energy use efficiency is generally 30% lower and the carbon footprint is almost doubled in the overseas manufacturing scenario. Moreover, based on the LCA results, we propose a break-even carbon tariff model for the international trade of silicon-based PV modules, indicating an appropriate carbon tariff in the range of €105–€129/ton CO2.
Safety and success of the human papillomavirus vaccine: time for a robust vaccination program in the United States and worldwide.

Linda R. Duska, MD Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women and the seventh most common cancer in the world, with an estimated 530,000 new cases in 2008. In the United States, where there is an established and successful screening program, the cervical cancer death rate decreased by 70% between 1955 and 1970. However, cervical cancer is still common in less developed countries, with 454,000 cases in 2008. Cervical cancer is predominantly a disease of low-income countries, with overall rates nearly twice as high in less developed regions compared with more developed regions. In addition, despite screening, cervical cancer cases still occur in the United States and women still die of cervical cancer. Projected total number of cervical cancer cases and deaths for the United States in 2013 are 12,340 and 4030, respectively. These US cervical cancer cases may be due to lack of access to care (lack of insurance, for example) or less likely screening failures. Virtually all cervical cancers are associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Exposure to HPV is necessary but not sufficient for the development of HPV-related disease; although 80% of sexually active US adults will at some point be exposed to HPV, only a small percentage of them will develop HPV-related disease. The reasons for this finding are not entirely understood, but established cofactors for the development of cervical cancer include smoking tobacco, immunosuppression (due to HIV infection, diabetes, or immunosuppressive drugs, for example), and life events, such as early sexual experience and a high number of sexual partners. The article by Lazenby et al suggests a connection between other sexually transmitted diseases and the neoplastic sequelae of HPV infection, confirming the findings of other authors, in a population of women in Tanzania. Clearly, a cofactor, in addition to HPV risk type, is needed for the establishment of integration of HPV DNA into the cervical cell DNA and the subsequent development of neoplasia. Better understanding of the establishment of HPV infection may lead to the identification of those women who are at particular risk for the development of established HPV infection and the subsequent development of HPV-related neoplasia. HPV infection in the United States is a significant public health problem. Approximately 79 million persons in the United States are infected with HPV, and approximately 14 million will become newly infected each year. Overall prevalence of any HPV type as measured by HPV DNA positivity in one recent study was 42.5% among 14to 59-year-old US females. Prevalence of any HPV infection was lowest among 14to 19-year-old females (32.9%), increased to 53.8% for 20to 24-year-old females, and decreased to 38.8% in 50to 59-year-old
The Nurse Shortage Is a Crime

It's the low wages, stupid. While so-called experts blame other factors for the dire shortage of nurses, this economist contends that low wages, reinforced by a variety of practices, is the real culprit. Meantime, some moves are being made to solve the real problem.
Cooperative interactions of BRAFV600E kinase and CDKN2A locus deficiency in pediatric malignant astrocytoma as a basis for rational therapy

Although malignant astrocytomas are a leading cause of cancer-related death in children, rational therapeutic strategies are lacking. We previously identified activating mutations of v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) (BRAFT1799A encoding BRAFV600E) in association with homozygous cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A, encoding p14ARF and p16Ink4a) deletions in pediatric infiltrative astrocytomas. Here we report that BRAFV600E expression in neural progenitors (NPs) is insufficient for tumorigenesis and increases NP cellular differentiation as well as apoptosis. In contrast, astrocytomas are readily generated from NPs with additional Ink4a-Arf deletion. The BRAFV600E inhibitor PLX4720 significantly increased survival of mice after intracranial transplant of genetically relevant murine or human astrocytoma cells. Moreover, combination therapy using PLX4720 plus the Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6-specific inhibitor PD0332991 further extended survival relative to either monotherapy. Our findings indicate a rational therapeutic strategy for treating a subset of pediatric astrocytomas with BRAFV600E mutation and CDKN2A deficiency.
Cardiac mortality in patients with stage I and II diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with and without radiation: a surveillance, epidemiology, and end-results analysis.

Purpose Standard therapy for stage I and II diffuse large B-cell lymphoma consists of combined modality therapy with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, anti-CD20 antibody, and radiation therapy (RT). Curative approaches without RT typically utilize more intensive and/or protracted chemotherapy schedules. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens are associated with a dose-dependent risk of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. We hypothesize that patients treated without RT, i.e. , those who are treated with greater total chemotherapy cycles and hence cumulative anthracycline exposure, are at increased risk of cardiac mortality. Methods and Materials The rate of cardiac-specific mortality (CSM) was analyzed in patients with stage I and II diffuse large B-cell lymphoma diagnosed between 1988 and 2004 by querying the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results database. Analyzable data included gender, age, race, stage, presence of extranodal disease, and RT administration. Results A total of 15,454 patients met selection criteria; 6,021 (39%) patients received RT. The median follow-up was 36 months (range, 6–180 months). The median age was 64 years. The actuarial incidence rates of CSM at 5, 10, and 15 years were 4.3%, 9.0%, and 13.8%, respectively, in patients treated with RT vs. 5.9%, 10.8% and 16.1%, respectively, in patients treated without RT ( p p = 0.0005). Conclusions Increased anthracycline exposure in patients treated only with chemotherapy regimens may result in an increase in cardiac deaths, detectable only through analysis of large sample sizes. Confirmatory evaluation through meta-analysis of randomized data and design of large prospective trials is warranted.
Identifying misbehaving models using baseline climate variance

[1] The majority of projections made using general circulation models (GCMs) are conducted to help tease out the effects on a region, or on the climate system as a whole, of changing climate dynamics. Sun et al., however, used model runs from 20 different coupled atmosphere-ocean GCMs to try to understand a different aspect of climate projections: how bias correction, model selection, and other statistical techniques might affect the estimated outcomes. As a case study, the authors focused on predicting the potential change in precipitation for the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), a 1-million-square-kilometer area in southeastern Australia that suffered a recent decade of drought that left many wondering about the potential impacts of climate change on this important agricultural region. The authors first compared the precipitation predictions made by the models with 107 years of observations, and they then made bias corrections to adjust the model projections to have the same statistical properties as the observations. They found that while the spread of the projected values was reduced, the average precipitation projection for the end of the 21st century barely changed. Further, the authors determined that interannual variations in precipitation for the MDB could be explained by random chance, where the precipitation in a given year was independent of that in previous years.
Leading the Way to Wiser Choices: Communicating with Your Team, Institution, and Community About AAHPM’s List of “Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question in HPM” (TH335)

Objectives 1. Identify the need for communication skills assessment tools for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Next Accreditation System. 2. Define specific communication skills and the essential dimensions of each skill. 3. Utilize the communication skills assessment tool to identify communication skills and provide formative feedback; delineate other uses for the communication skills assessment tool, including its potential use with other levels of learners (eg, residents, medical students). Advancing communication skills is a core component of hospice and palliative medicine fellowship training. Emerging evidence suggests that discussions with patients and families about the patient’s prognosis and plan of care, led by expert skilled communicators, result in improved outcomes. Because communication skills are critical for medical trainees, communication skills assessment is central to the American College of Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) Next Accreditation System (NAS). This session will train palliative care faculty to evaluate trainees’ communication skills using a direct, real-time family meeting observation tool. In this session, we will present background on the need for communication skills assessment for hospice and palliative medicine fellowship programs within the context of the NAS. We will define the communication skills used commonly in the fields of hospice and palliative medicine and present the essential dimensions of each skill. In addition, we will orient the participants to FaMCAT, the newly developed, realtime direct observation communication skills assessment tool, and present the data on its feasibility, reliability, evaluator satisfaction, and ease of identification of areas for further training. We will link FaMCAT to NAS proposed competencies in communication. Next, we will train participants in communication skills assessment with FaMCAT using a mock family meeting. While observing the mock family meeting, the participants will complete the assessment tool. We will then break into four small groups, with one panel member moderating each group, and review the FaMCAT to reach consensus on the identification of each communication skill. Finally, we will demonstrate how using this tool will allow educators to provide formative feedback and need-based training, a NAS core principle. We will also provide time for a discussion of other potential uses for FamCAT, including the benefits and barriers to its use with other learners, including residents and medical students.
Beware of singularities when calculating clathrate hydrate cell potentials

A thermodynamic model for calculating the chemical potential of water in clathrate hydrates was presented by van der Waals and Platteeuw (1959). Parrish and Prausnitz (1972) introduced a computer algorithm using this model to predict the formation pressures of clathrate hydrates. Additional details of the model and the algorithm are discussed by Sloan (1998). Coding the algorithm, however, poses a problem: the calculations diverge if care is not taken. Although we do not imply that most hydrate researchers are incorrectly calculating langmuir constants, there is certainly an inconsistency in the literature, and anyone getting started in hydrate formation modeling is sure to encounter these problems. We will discuss where the problems occur and why they have gone unnoticed for over forty years.
Anxiety as an outcome symptom of depression in elderly and middle-aged adults

Early morning anxiety was reported as a symptom in 32.1% of 131 elderly and middle-aged patients hospitalized for depression one to two years following hospitalization. Two-thirds of those patients complaining of early morning anxiety also complained of anxiety at other times during the day. The demographic and system profile of subjects complaining of early morning anxiety did not differ on a variety of indices from subjects complaining of anxiety throughtou the day at follow-up, except that early morning anxiety was associated with a less severe symptom profile at follow-up. These results suggest that early morning anxiety is a less severe presentation of mixed depression/anxiety in patients who do not recover completely from an episode of major depression, regardless of age.
1H‐nmr study of protected methionine homo‐oligopeptides in helix‐supporting environment

1H-nmr spectra for a series of Boc-L-(Met)n-OMe (n = 2–9) homo-oligopeptides have been observed in the helix-supporting solvent trifluoroethanol (TFE) at millimolar concentrations. Interfering solvent peaks were eliminated using two decoupling frequencies to selectively remove the methylene and hydroxyl protons of the solvent. Comparisons with specifically α-deuterated homo-oligopeptides gave complete assignments of the NH region of the Boc-Metn-OMe oligomers up to the heptapeptide. Analysis of chemical shifts, coupling constants, and temperature dependence of chemical shifts suggests that up to the hexapeptide, similar structures exist in deuterochloroform and TFE. In contrast, nmr parameters at the heptapeptide for several internal residues differ in these solvents. These results suggest that a C7 to α-helix transition may occur in TFE as the chain length of the methionine oligopeptides increases.
Expression of the α2-subunit of laminin correlates with increased cell adhesion and metastatic propensity

The presence of several isoforms of laminin in a variety of tissues and species has been reported. S-laminin, a B1 chain homologue of 190 kDa, has been identified in association with the synaptic cleft of the neuromuscular junction (Hunter, et al., 1989), while O’Rear (1992) has reported a novel laminin B1 chain variant (B1-2) in the avian eye, and Marinkovich et al. (1992) reported another variant, K-laminin in human amniotic fluid.
Blue organic electrophosphorescence using exothermic host-guest energy transfer

We demonstrate efficient blue electrophosphorescence using exothermic energy transfer from a host consisting of N,N′-dicarbazolyl-3,5-benzene (mCP) to the phosphorescent iridium complex iridium(III)bis[(4,6-difluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C2′]picolinate (FIrpic). By examining the temperature dependence of the radiative lifetime and the photoluminescence of a film of mCP doped with FIrpic, we confirm the existence of exothermic energy transfer in contrast to the endothermic transfer characteristic of the N,N′-dicarbazolyl-4-4′-biphenyl and FIrpic system. In employing exothermic energy transfer between mCP and FIrpic, a maximum external electroluminescent quantum efficiency of (7.5±0.8)% and a luminous power efficiency of (8.9±0.9)lm/W are obtained, representing a significant increase in performance over previous endothermic blue electrophosphorescent devices.
Determination of unsteady supersonic flows around thin pointed wingsby asymptotic expansions.

Harmonic oscillations of a thin wing in a supersonic flow are considered. For an unsteady flow, we generalize a method that has proved successful in the steady case. The asymptotic expansions so obtained are expressed in terms of a parameter e, which represents the width of the wing divided by its length (the series converge faster as the wing is more slender). A systematic approach permits the determination of the flowfield around a pointed wing, with subsonic leading edge, up to any order in e.
TCL1 Protein Expression in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

We immunohistochemically studied TCL1 protein expression in different histologic types of 63 testicular germ cell tumors: 23 seminomas, 14 embryonal carcinomas, 4 teratomas, 2 yolk sac tumors, and 20 mixed germ cell tumors. The 20 mixed germ cell tumors contained components of seminoma (n = 10), embryonal carcinoma (n = 18), teratoma (n = 16), yolk sac tumor (n = 7), and choriocarcinoma (n = 3). We also examined 40 cases of intratubular germ cell neoplasia, unclassified type (IGCNU). Positive immunoreactivity for TCL1 was observed in 91% of the seminoma samples (30/33) and all IGCNU cases. In contrast, no TCL1 expression was detected among the nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. In the context of testicular germ cell neoplasia, the presence of TCL1 protein appears restricted to IGCNU and seminoma, suggesting association with an undifferentiated state and loss of protein expression with tumor differentiation. Immunohistochemical evaluation of TCL1 expression may have usefulness in substantiating a diagnosis of IGCNU or seminoma and in the separation of seminoma from nonseminomatous germ cell tumors.
Tetraalkylphosphonium polyoxometalates : Electroactive, 'task-specific' ionic liquids.

The pairing of selected polyoxometalate (POM) anions with appropriate tetraalkylphosphonium cations is shown to yield an original family of ionic liquids, among them an ambient-temperature “liquid POM”.
GLP‐1 Receptor Agonists: Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

Comorbid obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension place patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) at greatly increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease-related morbidity and mortality. An urgent need exists for effective treatment for patients with T2DM that encompasses glycemic control, weight loss, and reduction in CV risk factors. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) liraglutide and exenatide are incretin-based antidiabetes agents. This review examines CV-associated effects of liraglutide and exenatide in animal models and clinical trials with patients with T2DM. Studies support the effectiveness of GLP-1 RAs in reducing hyperglycemia. Further, GLP-1 RAs represent a significant advance in T2DM treatment because they uniquely affect a broad array of CV risk factors through significant weight and systolic blood pressure reduction, improved lipid levels, and possibly, as shown in in vitro studies and animal models, through direct effects on cardiac myocytes and endothelium.
Phenobarbital Alters Protein Binding to the CYP2B1/2Phenobarbital-responsive Unit in Native Chromatin

Abstract Phenobarbital is a classical inducer of the drug metabolizing cytochrome P450 genes, but the molecular mechanism of induction has not been elucidated. Functional analyses have identified a phenobarbital-responsive unit in the rat CYP2B1/2 and mouse Cyp2b10 genes about −2.3 kilobase pairs from the transcriptional start site, but little or no changes in protein binding to this region were observed in vitro. To examine the role of chromatin structure, protein binding to the phenobarbital-responsive unit assessed by in vitro DNase I footprinting was compared with that assessed by DNase I in vivo footprints in native chromatin. A region centered on a putative nuclear factor-1 site was the major protected region in in vitro footprints, and there were no detectable differences in binding between extracts from control and phenobarbital-treated animals. In contrast, phenobarbital treatment dramatically altered the protection pattern in native chromatin. In control samples a core region of about 25 base pairs (bp) centered on the nuclear factor-1 site was protected. However, after phenobarbital treatment, the protection of this core region was increased, and more dramatically the region of protection was extended 20 bp to either side so that a total of about 60 bp were protected. These results provide the first evidence that phenobarbital treatment alters the composition or architecture of proteins binding to the phenobarbital-responsive unit region and indicate that chromatin structure is important in this process. Because proteins are bound to the region in the untreated animal, the mechanism of induction involves the activation of proteins bound to the region and possibly recruitment of additional regulatory proteins rather than conversion of a closed chromatin structure to an open one that can bind regulatory factors.
Information as a factor of production: Substitutability and productivity

Abstract This paper uses an econometric analysis to explore the technology associated with the use of information services in manufacturing industries. A study of the 1972 data for 51 manufacturing industries indicates that the assumption of constant unitary elasticity of substitution between capital and information is probably not appropriate. This causes one to doubt the appropriateness of the Cobb‐Douglas production function to model the relationship between inputs and value added in these industries. Using production functions more general than the Cobb‐Douglas, estimates of the elasticities of substitution between information and other inputs and of the marginal product of information are obtained. The estimates of the marginal product of information range from 2.3 to 3.7, and are consistent with the Hayes and Erickson conclusion that the firms in these industries underinvest in purchased information.
How do preschoolers express cause in gesture and speech

Upon witnessing a causal event, do children's gestures encode causal knowledge that a) does not appear in their linguistic descriptions or b) conveys the same information as their sentential expressions? The former use of gesture is considered supplementary; the latter is considered reinforcing. Sixty-four English-speaking children aged 2.5- to 5 years described an action in which the experimenter pushed a ball across a small pool with a stick. Children produced more complete sentences expressing causal relations, encoding more of the elements in the event. Younger children produced noncausal sentences and location gestures that referred to or highlighted the goal of the action. Older children used both reinforcing and supplementary gestures conveying the instrument (e.g., the stick) and direction (e.g., from left to right) of the action. These findings present a noncausal to causal developmental trajectory both in speech and gesture. Among older children, results also suggest that gestures carry causal information before they form complete sentences to express causal events.
An Effective Algorithm for Buffer Insertion in General Circuits Based on Network Flow

The problem of buffer insertion in a single net has been the focus of most previous research works. However, effective algorithms for buffer insertion in whole circuits are generally needed. In this paper, we relate the timing-constrained minimal buffer insertion problem to the convex cost-flow dual problem and propose an algorithm based on the convex cost-flow theory to solve it in combinational circuits. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach is effective. On the average, for the cases where buffering locations are not specified, our approach achieves a 46% reduction on the total buffer area in comparison to a traditional approach; for the cases where buffering locations are specified, our approach achieves a 52% reduction.
Enabling Robustness in Existing BPEL Processes

Web services are increasingly being used to expose applications over the Internet. To promote efficiency and the reuse of software, these web services are bei ng integrated both within enterprises and across enterprises, creating higher function services. BP EL is a workflow language that can be used to facilitate this integration. Unfortunately, the autonomo us nature of web services leaves BPEL processes susceptible to the failures of their constituent services. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to making existing BPEL processes more fault tolerant by monitoring the involved web services at runtime, and by replacing delinquent web services dynamically. To show the feasibility of our approach, we developed a prototype implementation that generates more robust BPEL processes from existing ones automatically. The use of the prototype is demonstrated using an existing loan approval BPEL process.
Heat-sensitive conduction block in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.

Abstract Objectives : To study the effects of elbow heating on conduction block (CB) and across-elbow conduction velocity (CV) in patients with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE). Methods : We studied 15 patients with UNE, performing motor nerve conduction studies at 32°C and after heating the elbow to 42°C. Results : At 32°C, mean response amplitude and area with above-elbow (AE) stimulation were 20.4 and 16.0% lower than with below-elbow (BE) stimulation, respectively. With heating the elbow to 42°C, these differences increased significantly to 28.9 and 26.9% ( P =0.019 and 0.029), respectively. The mean CV reduction in the across-elbow segment relative to the forearm segment also increased from 20.5 m/s at 32°C to 25.6 m/s at 42°C ( P =0.0010). Across-elbow CV at 32°C correlated with increased CB (as measured by amplitude) with heating ( r =0.53, P =0.048) and approached significance for area ( r =0.48, P =0.068) Likewise, baseline CB at 32°C correlated with the likelihood of increased CB for amplitude ( r =0.77, P r =0.47, P =0.079). Conclusions : Elbow heating in UNE increases the relative drop in across-elbow CV and the degree of across-elbow CB; absolute across-elbow CV and the presence of baseline CB at 32°C are good predictors of this latter effect.
Genetic effective size, Ne, tracks density in a small freshwater cyprinid, Pecos bluntnose shiner (Notropis simus pecosensis).

Genetic monitoring tracks changes in measures of diversity including allelic richness, heterozygosity and genetic effective size over time, and has emerged as an important tool for understanding evolutionary consequences of population management. One proposed application of genetic monitoring has been to estimate abundance and its trajectory through time. Here, genetic monitoring was conducted across five consecutive year for the Pecos bluntnose shiner, a federally threatened minnow. Temporal changes in allele frequencies at seven microsatellite DNA loci were used to estimate variance effective size (N(eV)) across adjacent years in the time series. Likewise, effective size was computed using the linkage disequilibrium method (N(eD)) for each sample. Estimates of N(e) were then compared to estimates of adult fish density obtained from traditional demographic monitoring. For Pecos bluntnose shiner, density (catch-per-unit-effort), N(eV) and N(eD) were positively associated across this time series. Results for Pecos bluntnose shiner were compared to a related and ecologically similar species, the Rio Grande silvery minnow. In this species, density and N(eV) were negatively associated, which suggested decoupling of abundance and effective size trajectories. Conversely, density and N(eD) were positively associated. For Rio Grande silvery minnow, discrepancies among estimates of N(e) and their relationships with adult fish density could be related to effects of high variance in reproductive success in the wild and/or effects of supplementation of the wild population with captive-bred and reared fish. The efficacy of N(e) as a predictor of density and abundance may depend on intrinsic population dynamics of the species and how these dynamics are influenced by the landscape features, management protocols and other factors.
Numerical simulations of the Mediterranean sea outflow: impact of the entrainment parameterization in an isopycnic coordinate ocean model

Abstract Gravity current entrainment is essential in determining the properties of the interior ocean water masses that result from marginal sea overflows. Although the individual entraining billows will be unresolvable in large-scale ocean models for the foreseeable future, some large-scale simulations are now being carried out that do resolve the intermediate scale environment which may control the rate of entrainment. Hallberg [Mon. Wea. Rev. 128 (2000) 1402] has recently developed an implicit diapycnal mixing scheme for isopycnic coordinate ocean models that includes the Richardson number dependent entrainment parameterization of Turner [J. Fluid Mech. 173 (1986) 431], and which may be capable of representing the gravity current evolution in large-scale ocean models. The present work uses realistic regional simulations with the Miami Isopycnic Coordinate Ocean Model (MICOM) to evaluate ability of this scheme to simulate the entrainment that is observed to occur in the bottom boundary currents downstream of the Mediterranean outflow. These simulations are strikingly similar to the observations, indicating that this scheme does produce realistic mixing between the Mediterranean outflow and the North Atlantic Central Water. Sensitivity studies identify the critical Richardson number below which vigorous entrainment occurs as a particularly important parameter. Some of these experiments also show meddies detaching from the Mediterranean undercurrent at locations that appear to be highly influenced by topographic features.
The Kv1.3 potassium channel is localized to the cis-Golgi and Kv1.6 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum in rat astrocytes

The functions of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels in neurons have been well defined, whereas their roles in glial cells are not fully understood. Kv1.1, Kv1.3 and Kv1.6 are endogenously expressed in C6 astrocytoma cells, but their trafficking and subcellular localization have not been well studied. In C6 cells, Kv1.1 was localized to the cell surface, Kv1.3 was predominantly localized in the cis-Golgi, and Kv1.6 was enriched in the endoplasmic reticulum. Disruption of the Golgi stacks with brefeldin A treatment redirected Kv1.3 to the endoplasmic reticulum, further confirming that Kv1.3 was localized in the Golgi. Denaturing and reducing immunoblot analysis identified an expected Kv1.3 monomer and an unexpected Kv1.3 dimer/aggregate. These two forms had different protein half-lives: that of the monomer form T1/2 was 5.1 h, whereas the dimer/aggregate form was stable over the 8-h measurement period. The Kv1.3 dimer/aggregate form on immunoblots appeared to be correlated with its Golgi retention, based on examination with several cell types that expressed Kv1.3. Glycosidase treatment showed that Kv1.3 contained complex-type N-glycans terminated with sialic acids, suggesting that Kv1.3 had traveled to the trans-Golgi network for sialylation before it was recycled to the cis-Golgi for retention. Inhibition of N-glycosylation did not affect Kv1.3 localization, indicating that N-glycans did not play a role in its Golgi retention. Thus, Kv1.3 appears to be distributed to the cis-Golgi membrane of rat astrocytes in a similar way as a Golgi resident protein, and this unusual distribution appears to be correlated with its SDS/2-mercaptoethanol-resistant dimer/aggregate forms on immunoblots.
Chronic Alcohol Consumption Impairs Distribution and Compromises Circulation of B Cells in B16BL6 Melanoma-Bearing Mice

Accumulating research indicates that B cells are involved in anti-tumor immunity. Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with decreased survival of cancer patients. The effect of alcohol consumption on B cells in tumor-bearing hosts is unknown. Results in melanoma-bearing mice showed that chronic alcohol consumption did not alter the percentage and number of B cells in bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes but dramatically decreased B cells in the peripheral blood. Alcohol consumption did not alter the development of B cells in the bone marrow and did not affect follicular B cells in the spleen; however, it increased T1 B cells and decreased marginal zone B cells in the spleen. Alcohol consumption also decreased mature B cells in the blood. It did not alter the chemotactic capacity of plasma to facilitate migration of splenocytes or the chemotactic response of splenocytes to CXCL13 and CCL21. However, the response of splenocytes to sphingosine-1-phosphate was impaired in alcohol-consuming, melanoma-bearing mice. The expression of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1 (S1PR1) and sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase-1 (SPL1) in splenocytes was downregulated. Taken together, these results indicate that chronic alcohol consumption decreases peripheral blood B cells by compromising B cell egress from the spleen. The downregulation of S1PR1 and SPL1 expression in alcohol-consuming, melanoma-bearing mice could be associated with compromised egress of B cells from the spleen.
SHRUB EXPANSION IN MONTANE MEADOWS: THE INTERACTION OF LOCAL-SCALE DISTURBANCE AND SITE ARIDITY

Montane meadows in the Sierra Nevada of California have experienced dra- matic expansion of shrubs (Artemisia rothrockii) and reduction in herbaceous species cover since the introduction of livestock in the late 1800s. Increases in meadow aridity due to livestock use has been proposed as the primary factor facilitating sagebrush dominance in these areas. However, our data suggest that sagebrush can readily expand into moist meadow areas where the water table is shallow. We explored how the relative importance of local processes influencing seedling establishment vary with changes in site aridity. We quantified patterns of sagebrush abundance in relation to water table depth and surface soil moisture and sagebrush seedling occurrence relative to distance from reproductive sagebrush plants and the presence of gopher disturbance. We tested the independent and interactive effects of vegetation clipping and surface soil disturbances on sagebrush germination, survival, and growth using experiments established in four vegetation types that differed in water table depth, surface soil moisture, and herbaceous species cover. Experiments were con- ducted over two growing seasons that differed in water availability. Our results suggest that small ( , 1m 2 ) soil disturbances promote the germination and growth of sagebrush seedlings in intact, ungrazed, moist, herbaceous meadow areas. In the absence of distur- bance, dense herbs, whether clipped or not, prevented germination. The effects of distur- bance were strongest in sites with moist surface soil that support a dense herbaceous canopy and were less important in sites with lower surface-soil moisture, where seedling estab- lishment rates were low despite abundant exposed soil. The spatial distribution of sagebrush seedlings is consistent with these experimental results. Sagebrush seedling density decreased dramatically with distance from reproductive shrubs, and seedlings were almost always preferentially associated with gopher mounds in moist herbaceous areas. Clipping above- ground biomass of herbs on a relatively small scale (4 m 2 ) had no effect on sagebrush germination or early seedling growth; however, the growth and survival of larger trans- planted seedlings was enhanced by clipping. We conclude that, while sagebrush expansion is traditionally associated with increased meadow aridity, it exhibits the greatest potential for seedling germination, growth, and survival in mesic, rather than xeric, sites. Realization of this potential is dependent on the confluence of exposed soil, a nearby seed source, and reduction of aboveground herb biomass.
Low-Wage Legacies, Race, and the Golden Chicken in Mississippi: Where Contemporary Immigration Meets African American Labor History

While the poultry processing industry in the southern United States has undergone a radical restructuring over the past few decades, its recruitment of immigrant workers has contributed to an unprecedented presence of Latin Americans. Running parallel to these changes is the ongoing struggle of African Americans for equal economic opportunity. This essay considers the implications of demographic and cultural shifts in central Mississippi, where poultry has become the dominant employer and where immigration helps shape rural life. Mississippi's history and demographic profile make it a significant site for investigation. Here, unlike in many other recent immigration destinations in the US South, Latin American migrants are joining workplaces and communities whose majority is often African American. Centered upon ScottCounty, home of Mississippi's poultry industry (where the Hispanic population increased by over 1,000 percent from 1990 to 2000), this essay situates the present moment within histories of industrial restructuring, political economies of race, and local labor movements.
Tracking Costs of Time and Money: How Accounting Periods Affect Mental Accounting

After people incur costs to get future benefits, they usually track these costs in their mental accounts and are keen to receive the benefits when they become available. We introduce the notion that costs and benefits can occur either in the same accounting period (day, season, etc.) or in different periods. Our key argument is that monetary costs are tracked across accounting periods but that temporal costs are written off at the end of the period in which they are incurred. Thus, accounting periods lead to a time-money asymmetry in the tracking of costs and, consequently, in the likelihood of seeking benefits. In a laboratory study, an online-panel study, and a field study with movie-theater patrons, we demonstrate how this relationship among accounting periods, cost tracking, and benefit seeking is different for time than for money. Our findings offer insights into the sunk-cost effect, time-money differences, and mental accounting.
Comparison of leaf samples from mapped tropical and temperate forests: Implications for interpretations of the diversity of fossil assemblages

We characterize forest floor leaf litter and transported leaf samples from several depositional environments in both a temperate and a tropical forest to provide well-characterized modern analogs for the evaluation of fossil leaf localities. We compare the low-diversity, deciduous, temperate Wharton Brook forest (Connecticut, United States) with the high-diversity, evergreen, tropical Noah Creek Rainforest (Queensland, Australia) by mapping one half-hectare of each forest, collecting 25–29 leaf litter samples from four to five depositional settings in each forest and analyzing the relative abundance of species based on >31,750 leaves. In both studies, we analyze the samples as if they were fossil sites, evaluating floral composition, numerical diversity measures, rarefied richness, and climate estimates based on leaf physiognomy. We compare this analysis with data from the standing mapped forest to evaluate the biases inherent in the data derived from fossil assemblages from different depositional settings. In both forests, sample sites that were revisited over multiple years produced different species on subsequent visits, suggesting that fossil sites with close stratigraphic spacing and different composition may actually represent the same source forest. In both forests, species diversity in laterally transported samples appears to increase as the distance of transport increases. Because the species richness of a leaf sample is impacted by the diversity of the original forest, the amount of time the leaf sample spent accumulating, and the effect of transport distance, it is not possible to interpret the diversity of ancient forests without also evaluating the sedimentary facies of the fossil collections.
Lung Cancer Screening with Low-Dose Computed Tomography for Primary Care Providers

This review provides an update on lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) and its implications for primary care providers. One of the unique features of lung cancer screening is the potential complexity in patient management if an LDCT scan reveals a small pulmonary nodule. Additional tests, consultation with multiple specialists, and follow-up evaluations may be needed to evaluate whether lung cancer is present. Primary care providers should know the resources available in their communities for lung cancer screening with LDCT and smoking cessation, and the key points to be addressed in informed and shared decision-making discussions with patients.
Just-in-time optical burst switching implementation in the ATDnet all-optical networking testbed

We describe: (i) the architecture of an optical burst switched (OBS) demonstration network overlaying the ATDnet transparent all-optical testbed, and (ii) experiments underway in the testbed. The OBS overlay uses a simple hardware-based protocol embedded in OBS network controllers to manage commercial off-the-shelf DWDM switches. Data paths are all-optical and completely transparent, and can carry analog or digital traffic in any format, data rate, and modulation scheme. Experiments with latency- and jitter-sensitive HDTV transmission, petabyte file transfers, and immersive real time visualization of satellite imagery over the OBS network are ongoing. Parallel research on transport protocols, QoS-aware routing protocols, adaptors for an OBS LAN, and network management architecture are applied as completed. This is the first just-in-time (JIT) OBS field trial known to the authors.
Stochastic batch scheduling and the “smallest variance first” rule

Consider a single machine that can process multiple jobs in batch mode. We have n jobs and the processing time of job j is a random variable Xj with distribution Fj. Up to b jobs can be processed simultaneously by the machine. The jobs in a batch all have to start at the same time and the batch is completed when all jobs have finished their processing (i.e., at the maximum of the processing times of the jobs in that batch). We are interested in two objective functions, namely the minimization of the expected makespan and the minimization of the total expected completion time. We first show that under certain fairly general conditions, the minimization of the expected makespan is equivalent to specific deterministic combinatorial problems, namely the Weighted Matching problem and the Set Partitioning problem. We then consider the case when all jobs have the same mean processing time but different variances. We show that for certain special classes of processing time distributions the Smallest Variance First rule minimizes the expected makespan as well as the total expected completion time. In our conclusions we present various general rules that are suitable for the minimization of the expected makespan and the total expected completion time in batch scheduling.