cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal Ribosomes Are Sufficient for Tissue Diversification during Embryonic Development in C. elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans provides an amenable system to explore whether newly composed ribosomes are required to progress through development. Despite the complex pattern of tissues that are formed during embryonic development, we found that null homozygotes lacking any of the five different ribosomal proteins (RPs) can produce fully functional first-stage larvae, with similar developmental competence seen upon complete deletion of the multi-copy ribosomal RNA locus. These animals, relying on maternal but not zygotic contribution of ribosomal components, are capable of completing embryogenesis. In the absence of new ribosomal components, the resulting animals are arrested before progression from the first larval stage and fail in two assays for postembryonic plasticity of neuronal structure. Mosaic analyses of larvae that are a mixture of ribosome-competent and non-competent cells suggest a global regulatory mechanism in which ribosomal insufficiency in a subset of cells triggers organism-wide growth arrest.
Skin Punch Biopsy

Painful neuropathy states involving small peripheral nerve fibers are difficult to diagnose on clinical evaluation. Advances in immunohistochemical staining and use of confocal microscopy have led to the development of skin biopsy techniques for the evaluation of painful neuropathies. In this method, vertical sections of small skin biopsies are obtained and immunolabeled to show nerve endings. This technique provides no information about motor or large myelinated sensory fibers. The technique is minimally invasive and can be repeated to monitor progression of the disease.
Effects of growth hormone therapy in pediatric patients with growth hormone deficiency and Chiari I malformation: a retrospective study

The safety and efficacy of growth hormone replacement therapy (GHRT) on pediatric patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and Chiari I malformation (CIM) are not well investigated within the current body of literature. With no clear indication of the effects of GHRT on CIM disease progression, we sought to determine the effect of GHRT on tonsillar herniation and progression of CIM symptomatology. From a previously established database of 465 patients with radiologically confirmed CIM defined as > 5 mm of tonsillar descent on head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we identified 20 patients who also had GHD. Using the imaging analysis software package, ANALYZE, the degree of change in tonsillar herniation was documented between initial and final MRI measurements. The radiologic and clinical changes over time were examined via a proportional odds model, Student’s t test, Mann-Whitney test, or a mixed model corresponding to the outcomes measured either on an ordinal scale or on a quantitative scale. Incidence of GHD in our CIM population was 4.3%. There was no significant effect of GHRT on the degree of tonsillar herniation in patients with GHD and CIM. No patient became symptomatic, developed syringomyelia, or required surgical intervention for CIM. Based on our findings with a larger sample size, along with recent reports, the incidence of patients with CIM and GHD we reported (0.86–5%) is likely more indicative of the actual incidence of GHD and CIM than the prior findings within the literature (9.1–20%). We also suggest that GHRT does not significantly affect CIM morphology or symptomatology. Therefore, neurosurgeons should have no hesitation clearing these patients for GHRT.
Decentralized Verification for Dissipativity of Cascade Interconnected Systems

In this paper, we consider the problem of decentralized verification for large-scale cascade interconnections of linear subsystems such that dissipativity properties of the overall system are guaranteed with minimum knowledge of the dynamics. In order to achieve compositionality, we distribute the verification process among the individual subsystems, which utilize limited information received locally from their immediate neighbors. Furthermore, to obviate the need for full knowledge of the subsystem parameters, each decentralized verification rule employs a model-free learning structure; a reinforcement learning algorithm that allows for online evaluation of the appropriate storage function that can be used to verify dissipativity of the system up to that point. Finally, we show how the interconnection can be extended by adding learning-enabled subsystems while ensuring dissipativity.
Association of Quadriceps Adiposity With an Increase in Knee Cartilage, Meniscus, or Bone Marrow Lesions Over Three Years.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of fatty infiltration of the quadriceps and vastus medialis (VM) with an increase in knee cartilage, meniscus, or bone marrow lesions, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in knee osteoarthritis (OA) over 3 years. METHODS Participants (n = 69) with and without radiographic knee OA underwent MRI at baseline and 3 years later. Chemical shift-based water/fat MRI was used to quantify the intramuscular fat fraction and the lean anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) for the VM and entire quadriceps muscles. MRI images of the knee were analyzed using the semiquantitative modified whole-organ MRI score (mWORMS) grading to assess change in lesions in the articular cartilage, meniscus, and bone marrow. Logistic regression was used to assess whether baseline quadriceps and VM fat fraction and lean ACSA were associated with an increase in mWORMS scores. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index. RESULTS Overall, of the 69 subjects, 43 (62%) had an increase in cartilage lesions (26 of 43), meniscus lesions (19 of 43), or bone marrow lesions (22 of 43) scores. The quadriceps (OR 2.13 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.09-4.15]) and VM (OR 2.05 [95% CI 1.25-3.36]) fat fraction were both associated with an increase in cartilage, meniscus, or bone marrow lesion scores over 3 years. The association of quadriceps or VM lean ACSA with the outcomes was not significant. CONCLUSION These longitudinal findings using quantitative MRI methods for assessment of muscle adiposity highlight the role of quadriceps adiposity, specifically in the VM, in knee OA progression. However, studies in larger cohorts are needed to confirm these findings.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Nasal Screening: Clinical Use for Excluding Diabetic Foot Infection with MRSA.

I read with great interest the recently published manuscript by Mergenhagen and colleagues ([1][1]) who retrospectively studied the use of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization in predicting the absence of MRSA in clinical cultures collected from adults with diabetic
The coracoscapular joint of neornithine birds—extensive homoplasy in a widely neglected articular surface of the avian pectoral girdle and its possible functional correlates

A survey is given of the morphological variation of the coracoscapular joint of neornithine birds. In Mesozoic stem group representatives, the coracoid exhibits a deeply concave cotyla scapularis, which articulates with a globose tuberculum coracoideum of the scapula. This morphology is likely to be functionally related to the development of a powerful supracoracoideus muscle and the formation of a triosseal canal as a pulley for the tendon of this muscle. In neornithine birds, the coracoid articulates with the scapula either via a concave cotyla or a flat facies articularis, with the latter largely restricting movements of the coracoid to the paramedian plane. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that a cotyla scapularis is plesiomorphic for Neornithes and that a flat facies articularis scapularis evolved at least 13 times independently within the clade. For several lineages, the transition to a flat facies articularis scapularis can be traced in the fossil record, and the replacement of a cup-shaped cotyla by a flat articular facet seems to have been due to various functional demands. Often, a flat facies articularis scapularis is associated with reduced shafts of the furcula. A weakly developed furcula enables transverse movements of the coracoid and therefore enables a restriction of the mobility of the coracoscapular joint to the paramedian plane. In taxa with a large crop, a flat facies articularis scapularis is likely to be associated with a reorganization of the pectoral musculature, whereas in procellariiform birds, the transition from a cotyla to a facies articularis appears to have been correlated with the capacity for sustained soaring without wing flapping.
Exploring the Effectiveness of Digital Games in Producing pro-Environmental Behaviors when Played Collaboratively and Individually: A Mixed Methods Study in India

Environmental sustainability education should create eco-awareness and produce pro-environmental behaviors. Traditional instructional methods create eco-awareness but do not make people act. Purposefully designed digital games for attitudinal instruction provide cognitive knowledge, engage learners emotionally by showing the consequences of harmful behaviors, and encourage correct behaviors. Most studies involving games in different subjects showed that knowledge acquisition was greater in collaborative learning than individual game play. However, a similar comparison with respect to attitudinal learning involving a socio-scientific topic has not been conducted before. This mixed methods study conducted in a high school in India, examined the attitudinal learning among students who played a game individually (n = 45) and collaboratively (n = 44). Also, differences between students who played the game and a control group (n = 42) was examined. Surveys based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Attitudinal Learning Instrument (ALI), showed that attitudinal learning from games was similar for collaborative and individual players. Also, attitudinal learning from games was higher compared to traditional instructional methods. Interviews explained the learning experiences of game players and how it produced pro-environmental behaviors.
Leveraging the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competency Framework to Transform Health Professions Education.

Interprofessional learning experiences prepare future health care professionals for enhanced team-based care of patients and improved population health outcomes. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative’s (IPEC) core competencies have become the gold standard for planning, implementation, and assessment of IPE activities. However, the IPEC framework is inconsistently applied across institutions. The IPEC Board of Directors decided to formally address this issue through the development of an institutional assessment instrument. This instrument would leverage IPEC competencies to identify institutional characteristics tied to the successful implementation of programmatic IPE. IPEC partnered with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in this effort. A panel of nationally recognized experts in IPE was formed to contribute to the instrument development process. While demonstrating a need for such an instrument, this commentary also encourages institutional IPE leaders across the United States to volunteer as item pilot testers, a critical step in the instrument development process.
Modeling cancer in the Zebrafish.

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 SY13-01 The zebrafish is a powerful system for dissecting cancer genetics. We recently generated a melanoma model in zebrafish by overexpressing human BRAF V600E in melanocytes using an MITF promoter. Stable transgenics develop moles, and when crossed to the p53 mutant, develop melanoma. Our studies have demonstrated that the moles and melanoma are p53 dependent and the dose of BRAF alters the latency of disease. We also recently generated a model of NRAS induced melanoma. In the stable transgenics, the entire fish appears black and yet individual moles occur and ultimately melanoma arises. These tumors are labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and can be transplanted. We are currently mating the BRAF transgenic and NRAS transgenic melanoma models to a variety of pigment pattern mutants in an effort to find modifiers of mole formation and melanoma. Our studies are providing new insight into the genesis of melanoma and are likely to provide therapeutic opportunities for chemical biology and genetics in the future.
Linear and non-linear properties of feature selectivity in V4 neurons.

Extrastriate area V4 is a critical cortical component of visual form processing in both humans and non-human primates. The tuning of V4 neurons shows an intermediate level of complexity that lies between the narrow band orientation and spatial frequency tuning of neurons in primary visual cortex and the highly complex object selectivity seen in inferotemporal neurons. Single neuron recording studies in the monkey have demonstrated that V4 neurons can be highly selective for complex properties of visual stimuli, like contour curvature (Pasupathy and Connor, 1999) and the relative positions of object features in the receptive field (Pasupathy and Connor, 2001). However, the origins of complex feature selectivity and the specific circuits that transform the relatively simple wavelet-like encoding seen in primary visual cortex into the more complex selectivity profiles observed in V4 are not well understood. This is especially true in the case of selectivity for features occurring in natural scene stimuli. Little is known about how the selectivity of V4 neurons to isolated stimuli is altered when those stimuli appear in the context of a spectrally complex natural scene. Previous work using quasi-linear system identification methods has shown that some, but not all, of the responses of V4 neurons to natural stimuli can be accounted for by a neuron’s orientation and spatial frequency tuning (David et al., 2006). In this study we assessed the degree to which preferences for natural images can really be inferred from classical orientation and spatial frequency tuning functions. Using a psychophysically-inspired method we isolated and identified the specific visual “driving features” occurring in natural scene photographs that reliably elicit firing from single V4 neurons. We then compared the measured driving features to those predicted to drive each cell based on the linear spectral receptive field (SRF), which was estimated from responses to narrowband sinusoidal grating
“Nueva maestría”: Recontextualizing Castilian Clerical Poetry Within and Beyond the Mester

Pablo Ancos. Transmision y recepcion primarias de la poesia del mester de clerecia. Valencia: Publicacions de la Universitat de Valencia, 2012.Amaia Arizaleta. Les clercs au palais. Chancellerie et...
Polymeric nanoparticles for molecular imaging

Conventional imaging technologies (X-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and optical) depend on contrast agents to visualize a target site or organ of interest. The imaging agents currently used in clinics for diagnosis suffer from disadvantages including poor target specificity and in vivo instability. Consequently, delivery of low concentrations of contrast agents to region of interest affects image quality. Therefore, it is important to selectively deliver high payload of contrast agent to obtain clinically useful images. Nanoparticles offer multifunctional capabilities to transport high concentrations of imaging probes selectively to diseased site inside the body. Polymeric nanoparticles, incorporated with contrast agents, have shown significant benefits in molecular imaging applications. These materials possess the ability to encapsulate different contrast agents within a single matrix enabling multimodal imaging possibilities. The materials can be surface conjugated to target-specific biomolecules for controlling the navigation under in vivo conditions. The versatility of this class of nanomaterials makes them an attractive platform for developing highly sensitive molecular imaging agents. The research community's progress in the area of synthesis of polymeric nanomaterials and their in vivo imaging applications has been noteworthy, but it is still in the pioneer stage of development. The challenges ahead should focus on the design and fabrication of these materials including burst release of contrasts agents, solubility, and stability issues of polymeric nanomaterials. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing financial interest.
Protocol creation as a pedagogical tool in a computer networks course

Many educators and students find the concepts in a computer networking class challenging. To assist with course pedagogy, many instructors assign hands-on projects which force the students to incorporate their newly learned concepts into a real-world environment. One possible type of project that requires "hands-on" ability is to ask the students to create a new protocol for a hypothetical or actual application. In this paper we will examine how one can create the BidNet protocol to support distributed program execution. The students will examine existing protocols looking for strengths and weaknesses, create a set of request and response primitives, design the frame / packet layouts, and decide at what layer the protocol should operate. As a final optional task, the student can evaluate the effectiveness of the protocol by performing an analytical calculation, use a canned protocol verification program, create a simulation study, or create a series of programs which incorporate the protocol.
Authorities and Uncertainties: Applying Lessons from the Study of Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust to the Milgram Legacy

Milgram's experiments were born out of a desire to understand the Nazis’ persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. This article argues that the study of Jewish resistance against that persecution also furthers our understanding of Milgram's experiments. Case data from the Nazi-created ghettos of Warsaw, Vilna, and Łodź—settings in which Jews reached very different decisions with regard to resistance—illustrate that decisions about resistance reflect obedience and disobedience to multiple authorities, including agents of the Nazi regime as well as moral and religious dictates. Whereas Milgram himself recognized the role of multiple authorities, these cases also point to the role of uncertainty, which is relevant to yet not discussed explicitly in Milgram's experiments. A recognition of uncertainty and multiple authorities provides a more nuanced understanding of obedience and shows that, contrary to common assumptions about both Milgram's experiments and the Holocaust, neither resistance nor obedience is “ordinary” or straightforward.
An Overview of the Use of Polymers in Medical Applications as Illustrated by the Design, Characterization, and Application of Tyrosine-Derived Polymers

Biomaterials science and medical device development present uniquely gratifying areas of research. The idea that work done in the laboratory today can alleviate human suffering and even save lives tomorrow is a powerful driving force for many of the basic scientists working in the field of biomaterials and medical devices. On the other hand, the commercialization of basic biomaterials research represents a particularly difficult challenge. The chapter presents some of the “opportunities” and “pitfalls” of technology development in the field of biomaterials and medical devices, followed by a discussion of a fundamentally new group of medical implant materials. Biomaterials research as a scientific discipline is a sound, vibrant, and highly interactive field that has, over the last decade, lead to important scientific breakthroughs in our understanding of cell materials interactions. Currently, medical device designers are limited to a relatively small number of off-the-shelf materials that were not originally designed for medical implants. In a recently convened-NIH workshop on “Biomaterials and Medical Device Science”, about 100 of the nation's leading experts reached the conclusion that the materials base of the medical device industry is outdated and that materials and devices endowed with biological structure and function must be designed and developed.
Diet and nutrition in the etiology of oral cancer

Epidemiological studies worldwide have implicated dietary and nutritional factors in the development of oral and pharyngeal cancer. Dietary information in these case-control studies generally was collected through food-frequency questionnaires. Consistently, these studies observed a protective effect of a diet high in fruit intake, reflected in a 20-80% reduction in oral cancer risk. A high intake of foods considered to be dietary staples in particular cultural groups, possibly indicating a generally impoverished diet, has been linked to excess risk. Indigenous dietary practices that in single studies were found to increase risk include a high intake of chili powder and wood stove cooking. Supplementation with various vitamins has been protective in a few studies. Chemoprevention trials generally have found that chemopreventive agents reduce the size of oral leukoplakia lesions or the frequency of second primary oral cancers. The most consistent dietary findings across multiple cultural settings are a protective effect of high fruit consumption and the carcinogenic effect of high alcohol intake.
Generation of Temperature-Sensitive Cbp1 Strains of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae by Pcr Mutagenesis and in Vivo Recombination: Characteristics of the Mutant Strains Imply That Cbp1 Is Involved in Stabilization and Processing of Cytochrome B Pre-mRNA

Mitochondrial biogenesis is dependent on both nuclearly and mitochondrially encoded proteins. Study of the nuclearly encoded mitochondrial gene products and their effect on mitochondrial genome expression is essential to understanding mitochondrial function. Mutations in the nuclear gene CBP1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae result in degradation of mitochondrially encoded cytochrome b (cob) RNA; thus, the cells are unable to respire. Putative roles for the CBP1 protein include processing of precursor RNA to yield the mature 5' end of cob mRNA and/or physical protection of the mRNA from degradation by nucleases. To examine the activity of CBP1, we generated temperature-sensitive cbp1 mutant strains by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mutagenesis and in vivo recombination. These temperature-sensitive cbp1 strains lack cob mRNA only at the nonpermissive temperature. Quantitative primer extension analyses of RNA from these strains and from a cbp1 deletion strain demonstrated that CBP1 is required for the stability of precursor RNAs in addition to production of the stable mature mRNA. Thus, CBP1 is not involved solely in the protection of mature cob mRNA from nucleases. Moreover, we found that mature mRNAs are undetectable while precursor RNAs are reduced only slightly at the nonpermissive temperature. Collectively, these data lead us to favor a hypothesis whereby CBP1 protects cob precursor RNAs and promotes the processing event that generates the mature 5' end of the mRNA.
High affinity of dodecylbenzene sulfonate for layered double hydroxide and resulting morphological changes

2∶1 Mg∶Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) with dodecylbenzene sulfonate in the gallery has been successfully prepared by the anion exchange and direct precipitation methods, and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX and AA. The interlayer spacing is 3.05 nm, which is in good agreement with the value estimated from an anti-parallel packing model with interpenetrating chains. We observe a high affinity of this surfactant anion for LDH in anion exchange and competition, exceeding that of sulfate and comparable to that of carbonate, and attribute this to hydrophobic interactions. More interestingly, the organic–inorganic self-assembled aggregates exhibit novel morphologies. These include bar-like particles that are several micrometers in length and tens to hundreds of nanometers in diameter, and curved as well as the more usual platy sheets. Contact with dodecylbenzene sulfonate solution places a hydrophobic surface on the normally hydrophilic Mg2Al(OH)6·0.5CO32−–LDH, allowing for miscible blending of inorganic and organic components in composites. Dodecylbenzene sulfonate is taken up in preference to chloride or, surprisingly, sulfate, and partly displaces even carbonate on refluxing.
Analysis of Serum Total and Free PSA Using Immunoaffinity Depletion Coupled to SRM: Correlation with Clinical Immunoassay Tests

Recently, selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SRM-MS) has been more frequently applied to measure low abundance biomarker candidates in tissues and biofluids, owing to its high sensitivity and specificity, simplicity of assay configuration, and exceptional multiplexing capability. In this study, we report for the first time the development of immunoaffinity depletion-based workflows and SRM-MS assays that enable sensitive and accurate quantification of total and free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum without the requirement for specific PSA antibodies. Low ng/mL level detection of both total and free PSA was consistently achieved in both PSA-spiked female serum samples and actual patient serum samples. Moreover, comparison of the results obtained when SRM PSA assays and conventional immunoassays were applied to the same samples showed good correlation in several independent clinical serum sample sets. These results demonstrate that the workflows and SRM assays developed here provide an attractive alternative for reliably measuring candidate biomarkers in human blood, without the need to develop affinity reagents. Furthermore, the simultaneous measurement of multiple biomarkers, including the free and bound forms of PSA, can be performed in a single multiplexed analysis using high-resolution liquid chromatographic separation coupled with SRM-MS. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translational Proteomics.
Emergency medicine resident patient care documentation using a hand-held computerized device.

Objective: To determine whether emergency medicine (EM) resident documentation of procedures, patient encounters, and patient follow-ups improved after implementation of a personal digital assistant (PDA) hand-held recording system. Methods: All first-year EM residents were provided a PalmV (Palm, Inc., Santa Clara, CA) PDA. A customized patient procedure and encounter program was con- structed using Pendragon Forms (Pendragon Software Corporation, Libertyville, IL) and loaded into each PDA. Residents were instructed to enter information on patients who had any of 21 procedures per- formed or were considered to be clinically unstable. These data were downloaded to the residency coordinator's desktop computer. The mean number of procedures, encounters, and follow-ups performed per resident were then compared with those of a group of 36 historical controls from the three previous first-year resident classes who re- corded the same information using a handwritten card system. Data from the historical controls were combined and the means of each group were compared by Student's t-test. Results: Mean documenta- tion of three procedures was significantly increased in the PDA group versus the index card system: conscious sedation 5.8 vs. 0.03 (p < 0.000005), thoracentesis 2.2 vs. 0.0 (p = 0.002), ultrasound 6.3 vs. 0.0 (p = 0.002). The mean numbers of pericardiocenteses and unstable pediatric surgical patient evaluations were significantly decreased in the hand-held group (from 1.2 to 0.4 (p = 0.03) and from 9.1 to 2.2 (p = 0.02), respectively). Patient follow-up documentations were not sta- tistically different between the two groups. Conclusions: Use of a hand-held PDA was associated with an increase in first-year EM res- ident documentation in three of 20 procedures and a decrease in one procedure and the number of unstable surgical pediatric patient re- suscitations. The overall time savings in constructing a resident pro- cedure database, as well as the other uses of the PDAs, may make transition to a hand-held computer-based procedure log an attractive option for EM residencies. Key words: emergency medicine; procedure; resident; documentation; computer. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MED- ICINE 2001; 8:1200-1203
Clustering with relative constraints

Recent studies have suggested using relative distance comparisons as constraints to represent domain knowledge. A natural extension to relative comparisons is the combination of two comparisons defined on the same set of three instances. Constraints in this form, termed Relative Constraints, provide a unified knowledge representation for both partitional and hierarchical clusterings. But many key properties of relative constraints remain unknown. In this paper, we answer the following important questions that enable the broader application of relative constraints in general clustering problems: " Feasibility: Does there exist a clustering that satisfies a given set of relative constraints? (consistency of constraints) "Completeness: Given a set of consistent relative constraints, how can one derive a complete clustering without running into dead-ends? " Informativeness: How can one extract the most informative relative constraints from given knowledge sources? We show that any hierarchical domain knowledge can be easily represented by relative constraints. We further present a hierarchical algorithm that finds a clustering satisfying all given constraints in polynomial time. Experiments showed that our algorithm achieves significantly higher accuracy than the existing metric learning approach based on relative comparisons.
“Just So” stories and sociopathy

Sociobiological explanation requires both a reliable and a valid definition of the sociopathy phenotype. Mealey assumes that such reliable and valid definition of sociopathy exists in her “Integrated Evolutionary Model.” A review of psychiatric literature on the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder clearly demonstrates that this assumption is faulty. There is substantial disagreement among diagnostic systems (e.g., RDC, DSM-III) over what constitutes the antisocial phenotype, different systems identify different individuals as sociopathic. Without a valid definition of sociopathy, sociobiological theories like Mealey's should be viewed as entirely speculative.
Amaroxocanes A and B: Sulfated Dimeric Sterols Defend the Caribbean Coral Reef Sponge Phorbas amaranthus from Fish Predators

Two new dimeric steroids, amaroxocanes A (1) and B (2), were isolated from Phorbas amaranthus collected on shallow coral reefs off Key Largo, Florida. The two compounds are comprised of two sulfated sterol cores bridged by an oxocane formed by different oxidative side-chain fusions. The structures were characterized by interpretation of MS and NMR spectroscopic data. The compounds are the primary components of a fraction that deters feeding of the bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, in aquarium assays. When the pure compounds were assayed at eight times the natural concentration, amaroxocane B (2) was found to be an effective antifeedant, but A (1) was not.
Making Village Women into "Good Wives and Wise Mothers" in Prewar Japan:

Among the many programs undertaken by the Japanese government between 1868 and 1945 was one designed to make of Japanese women "good wives and wise mothers. " The principal vehicle used in the effort to produce paragons of domestic virtue was the school system. The field materials collected in the mid- 1930s by Ella Lury Wiswell in the agricultural community of Suye-mura include excellent firsthand information on the degree to which the policy was effective, particularly with respect to reducing the incidence of premarital. sexual activity, premarital pregnancy, and divorce.
Optical and electrical properties of bacteriorhodopsin Langmuir-Blodgett films

Abstract Langmuir-Blodgett films prepared from purple membranes dissolved in pure hexane were characterized for M-state decay kinetics and photocurrent production. These studies indicated that the films are preferentially oriented with the cytoplasmic side of the bacteriorhodopsin molecule facing away from the surface of the tin oxide coated glass electrodes . Characterization of Langmuir-Blodgett films in high salt strongly indicates that the transient photocurrents observed are directly due to proton release and uptake and not to charge separation.
Sea level rise at Key West, Florida, 1846-1992: America's longest instrument record?

The continuous series of sea level at Key West, Florida commenced in 1913, but we have discovered sporadic measurements that date back to 1846. From records at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, the sea level series has been connected to a Summary (common) Datum. Thus, a gappy record of monthly and annual mean heights (H[t]), perhaps the United States' longest series over San Francisco (ca. 1854) or New York ( ca. 1856), can be tested to ascertain if the rise in relative sea level at this site is stationary. Applying first and second order least squares and two-phase regression analyses, we find that dH/dt is 0.19±0.01 cm/yr, and that d²H/dt²= [9.6±8.6]·10−3 cm/yr²; the two-phase regression shows H[t] rising 0.15±0.03 cm/yr before ca. 1925 and 0.23±0.01 cm/yr afterwards. Neither the second-order regression coefficient nor d²H/dt² nor the two-phase calculation are significant above the 75% confidence level, but all three are weakly consistent with accelerated rise. For the epoch 1951–1987, Key West sea level, corrected for post-glacial rebound, is best explained by concurrent measurements of 0–1,000 db dynamic height anomaly change.
Evapotranspiration potential of forages irrigated with saline-sodic drainage water

Abstract In the western San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California, re-use of saline-sodic drainage water (DW) for the irrigation of salt tolerant forages and field crops is an important strategy for drainage water reduction and to extend irrigation water supplies. Drainage reuse designs require estimates of crop water use under saline conditions, so this study employed two methods to estimate the actual evapotranspiration (ET a ) of saline-irrigated forages. Using sand-filled drainage lysimeters, ET was measured for ‘Jose’ tall wheatgrass (TWG; Thinopyrum ponticum var. ‘Jose’) creeping wildrye (CWR; Leymus triticoides , var. ‘Rio’) and Paspalum ( Paspalum vaginatum , var. ‘SeaIsle’) irrigated with saline DW with an electrical conductivity (EC) averaging 13.2 dS m −1 . Annual ET in 2005 (20 January to 28 December) was 1470 mm for TWG, 1376 mm for CWR, and 1275 mm for Paspalum. Comparing to standardized reference evapotranspiration (ET o ), the annual (ET a /ET o ) lys ratios in 2005 were 0.98 for TWG, 0.92 for CWR, and 0.85 for Paspalum. Forage ET was also estimated by a surface renewal (SR) method in large pastures of TWG and CWR irrigated with saline DW. For TWG, the seasonal (ET a /ET o ) SR in 2005 was 0.94, slightly lower than the ratio of 0.98 determined by lysimetry. For CWR, the seasonal (ET a /ET o ) SR was only 0.73 in 2005; however, in 2006 it was 1.03 which was closer to the ratio of 0.92 determined by lysimetry in 2005. Conditions were less uniform in the CWR pasture as compared to the TWG pasture which may have caused the greater variability in (ET a /ET o ) SR for this forage. These findings, along with earlier work, demonstrate that tall wheatgrass, creeping wildrye and Paspalum are suitable candidates for DW re-use systems for the western SJV due to their high ET under saline irrigation and adequate dry matter production and forage quality.
Farming for Fuel: The Political Economy of Energy Sources in the United States

Four Problems--One Soution The Petroleum Age Replacing Petroleum: The Many Choices Gasohol--A Blind Alley Biomass Production as Land-Use Diversification Biomass Production as Soil Conservation Methanol Raw Materials: Possible Supplies and Costs Converting Biomass to Methanol Using Methanol in Vehicles The Road Not Taken
Comment on “Cooperative constrained inversion of multiple electromagnetic data sets” (Michael S. McMillan and Douglas W. Oldenburg, 2014, Geophysics, 79, no. 4, B173–B185)

McMillan and Oldenburg (2014) develop a method for cooperatively inverting multiple electromagnetic data sets to produce a “consistent” 3D resistivity/conductivity model with improved resolution. Their data set includes airborne-time-domain electromagnetic data, controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (with inline electric-field and orthogonal magnetic-field measurements for frequencies ranging between 2 and 2048 Hz), and DC resistivity data. Because (1) conductivity/resistivity is known to be frequency-dependent especially in the presence of disseminated metallic particles (Wong, 1979; Marchant et al., 2013), (2) the range of frequencies investigated by McMillan and Oldenburg (2014) is rather substantial ( ∼ four orders of magnitudes), and (3) their case study includes the presence of metallic bodies (sulfide and gold mineralizations) in altered materials, it is legitimate to wonder if some of the basic assumptions used in McMillan and Oldenburg (2014) are valid or not. I believe that the approach used by McMillan and Oldenburg (2014) is attractive to simultaneously invert the resistivity obtained using different geophysical tools characterized by different, and therefore complementary, sensitivity maps. That said, it has, however, some pitfalls regarding two basic assumptions that have not been discussed by the authors and that make their most fundamental assumptions incorrect for this type of application. The first of these pitfalls is related to the frequency dependence of the electric conductivity/resistivity of rocks containing metallic ores and therefore the fact that the electric conductivity measured at different frequencies is not the same. This point has been, unfortunately, ignored in McMillan and Oldenburg (2014). I will show explicitly that the presence of 20–25 vol.% or more of metallic particles can be responsible for a difference between the DC resistivity and the high-frequency resistivity that can reach several orders of magnitude. In the case of altered rocks, the same situation arises at even lower metallic contents. The second issue is that McMillan and Oldenburg (2014) …
Effect of elevated temperature on aerobic respiration of coral recruits

Metabolic rates provide a valuable means to assess the condition of early life stages of scleractinians, but their small biomass creates a signal-to-noise problem in a confined respirometer. To avoid this problem, measurements of the oxygen diffusion boundary layer (DBL) and Fick’s first law were used to calculate the respiration rate of coenosarc tissue on recruits (i.e., colonies 5–14 mm diameter) of Porites lutea (Edwards and Haime, 1860) exposed to two temperatures at a flow speed of 0.6 cm s−1. All experiments were completed in Moorea, French Polynesia, between November and December 2003. At 26.8°C, the DBL was 565±55 µm thick, the oxygen saturation adjacent to the tissue was 80±3%, and the mean respiration of the coenosarc was 1.2±0.1 µl O2 cm−2 h−1 (all values mean ± SE, n=10). Exposure to 29.7°C for 24–48 h did not affect the DBL thickness but significantly reduced the oxygen saturation adjacent to the tissue (to 74%) and increased the mean respiration rate by 35%. As the small corals differed slightly in size, in a uniform flow speed they experienced dissimilar flow environments as characterized by the Reynolds number (Re), thereby creating the opportunity to test the flow dependency of respiration. At 26.8°C, respiration and Re were unrelated, but at 29.7°C, the relationship was positive and statistically significant. Thus, respiration of small corals may not be mass transfer limited at low temperature, but relatively small increases in temperature may result in an increased metabolic rate leading to mass transfer limitation and flow-dependent rates of respiration.
Entropy considerations in kinetic method experiments

In extended kinetic method experiments, relative binding enthalpies ('affinities') and relative entropies are obtained based on unimolecular dissociation kinetics. A series of ion-bound dimers A-X-B(i) is formed, in which the sample (A) and structurally similar reference molecules (B(i)) are bridged by a central cation or anion (X). The branching ratios of the A-X-B(i) set to A-X and B(i)-X are determined at different internal energies, usually by subjecting A-X-B(i) to collisionally activated dissociation at various collision energies. The dependence of the natural logarithm of the branching ratios on the corresponding B(i)-X bond enthalpies (X affinities of B(i)) is evaluated as a function of internal energy to thereby deduce the A-X bond enthalpy (X affinity of A) as well as an apparent relative entropy of the competitive dissociation channels, Delta(DeltaS(app)). Experiments with proton- and Na(+)-bound dimers show that this approach can yield accurate binding enthalpies. In contrast, the derived Delta(DeltaS(app)) values do not correlate with the corresponding thermodynamic entropy differences between the channels leading to A-X and B(i)-X, even after scaling. The observed trends are reconciled by the transition state switching model. According to this model, the kinetics of barrierless dissociations, such as those encountered in kinetic method studies, are dominated by a family of tight transition states ('entropy bottlenecks') lying lower in energy than the corresponding dissociation thresholds. In general, the relative energies of these tight transition states approximately match those of the dissociation products, but their relative entropies tend to be much smaller, as observed experimentally.
The Origins and Development of the Concept and Theory of State-Corporate Crime

The important contributions made by Richard Quinney to the study of corporate crime and the sociology of law, crime, and justice have influenced the development of the concept of state-corporate crime. This concept has been advanced to examine how corporations and governments intersect to produce social harm. State-corporate crime is defined as criminal acts that occur when one or more institutions of political governance pursue a goal in direct cooperation with one or more institutions of economic production and distribution. The creation of this concept has directed attention to a neglected form of organizational crime and inspired numerous empirical studies and theoretical refinements.
Complementation for the growth response to insulin and MSA occurs at a step distal to hormone-receptor interaction in mouse embryo fibroblast X melanoma cell hybrids.

The PG19 mouse melanoma cell line does not respond to the mitogenic effects of insulin either in serum-deprived quiescent cultures or when growing in hormone-supplemented serum-free medium, while melanoma × mouse embryo fibroblast hybrids respond under both conditions. It has been proposed that some growth effects of insulin are mediated by its binding to receptors for insulin-like growth factors. To determine whether the PG19 cells do not respond to insulin because they lack receptors for MSA (multiplication-stimulating activity, an insulin-like growth factor produced by BRL-3A cultured rat liver cells), we have examined growth effects and receptor binding of MSA in the melanoma and hybrid cells. MSA stimulates [3H]thymidine incorporation in three melanoma × mouse embryo fibroblast hybrid clones but not in the parental melanoma cells. Thus the pattern of response of the melanoma cells and hybrids to MSA directly parallels their response to insulin. The melanoma cells and hybrids all have high-affinity specific MSA binding sites (KD = 10–27 nM), indicating that the inability of the melanoma cells to respond to MSA is not attributable to a lack of MSA receptors. Insulin competes very poorly for binding of MSA to hybrid clone 7 but is nevertheless able to stimulate [3H]thymidine incorporation in this clone. This strongly suggests that the effects of insulin on [3H]thymidine incorporation in this clone are not mediated by its binding to MSA receptors. Insulin and MSA stimulate protein synthesis and inhibit protein degradation in the hybrids but not in the parental melanoma cells. These results suggest that both insulin and MSA action are blocked in the melanoma cells at a step distal to the binding of either hormone to its cellular receptors but prior to stimulation of protein synthesis.
On the Consequences of Television-Related Parent-Child Interaction

This is a theoretical examination of certain ways in which a child's development may be affected by parent-child interactions in which the content of television programming appears as an explicit referent, i. e., as the topic of a verbal exchange, as the premise for a game, and so forth. The discussion deals with four areas of development, viz.: (1) the child's interpretational skills with regard to the television medium; (2) the child's repertory of cognitive categories regarding the real world; (3) the child's behavioral repertory, including both verbal and nonverbal items; and (4) the child's social relationships. The paper concludes with a discussion of certain methodological issues involved in the empirical examination of these matters.
Adenosine triphosphatase activity associated with mung bean mitochondria.

The properties of the adenosine triphosphatase activity associated with tightly coupled, time-stable mung bean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.) mitochondria resemble those of intact animal mitochondria. Induction of adenosine triphosphatase activity by 2,4-dinitrophenol was inhibited by oligomycin, oxidizable substrates, and high concentrations of sucrose. Upon sonication, high rates of endogenous adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis resulted, an absolute requirement for Mg2+ was manifested, stimulation by 2,4-dinitrophenol and inhibition by sucrose were eliminated, but sensitivity to oligomycin was retained.
The hcKrox gene family regulates multiple extracellular matrix genes.

Abstract The transcription factor cKrox was originally identified as a protein that bound to a negative transcription regulatory element in the murine α1(I) collagen promoter. We recently reported the cloning and characterization of human cKrox (hcKrox). Overexpression of hcKrox in NIH3T3 fibroblasts efficiently repressed the promoters of the fibronectin and α1(I) collagen genes (70–90%) in transient transfection assays and suppressed the endogenous genes in hcKrox expressing permanent cell lines. We have now isolated genomic clones and cDNAs encoding two novel transcription factors related to hcKrox termed hcKrox-β and hcKrox–γ (the original clone is now referred to as hcKrox-α). Both contain three kruppel-like zinc-finger DNA binding motifs that are 71–78% identical to those of hcKrox-α. The NH2-terminus of all three proteins contains a POZ domain, a conserved 120 amino acid motif involved in transcriptional repression and protein dimerization. RT-PCR experiments demonstrate that all three hcKrox family members are expressed in foreskin and dermal fibroblasts. Transient transfection studies in NIH3T3 fibroblasts demonstrate that hcKrox-α -β and -γ, as well as the murine cKrox-β homologue, LRF, suppress transcription driven by promoters for the α1(I) and α2(I) collagen, fibronectin and elastin genes. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and coimmunoprecipitation studies suggest that homo- and heterodimerization occurs between cKrox family members. Dimer formation is influenced by amino acids in the NH2-terminal POZ domain and the Zn+2-finger region. Immunoprecipitation studies indicate that cKrox can form heterodimers in solution in the absence of DNA. Thus, a multi-gene family exists that can coordinately regulate several extracellular matrix genes and has the potential to form many heterodimeric transcription factors.
On Transverse and Rotational Symmetries in Elastic Rods

The influences of transverse and rotational symmetries on the strain-energy functions of elastic rods are discussed. Complete function bases are presented and, for some constrained theories, these bases are also proven to be irreducible. The treatment of symmetry is based on a reformulation of a recent work by Luo and O’Reilly. It is also shown how this work relates to existing treatments by Antman and Healey for a particular constrained rod theory.