cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A NOVEL ACIDOPHILIC RNA MOTIF THAT RECOGNIZES COENZYME A

Specific recognition of nucleotide cofactors by RNA may be important in engineering new RNA enzymes (ribozymes). Although in vitro selections (SELEX) have identified nucleic acid motifs ("aptamers") that bind a variety of adenosine cofactors, none of these recognizes coenzyme A (CoA), the primary biological cofactor used in acyltransfer reactions. We used SELEX experiments with two random RNA pools to identify aptamers that bind CoA. Functional boundary determination and extensive comparative sequence analysis (including reselection of a mutagenized, circularly permuted RNA) led to the identification of a 52 nucleotide minimal aptamer ("min52"). The RNA structural motif contains a large internal loop with 26 unpaired nucleotides flanked by helices of any base-paired sequence. Twenty loop nucleotides are specifically required for binding activity, 12 of which are derived from the original primer binding sequences. Specificity studies with CoA analogues demonstrated that the aptamer recognizes many adenosine analogues, including ATP, and that recognition is predominantly through the Hoogsteen face of adenine. Binding activity is greatest at acidic pH (optimum near 5.0), in low or no monovalent salt, and at high concentrations of either Mg 2+ or Mn 2+ . Strong binding activity (86% of maximum) is observed at pH 4.0, suggesting that at least some extreme conditions (acidic pH) may be compatible with RNA World theories of the origin and early evolution of life. In the presence of 10 mM Mg 2+ , binding is unaffected by the addition of 1 mM Ca 2+ , but it is mildly inhibited by 1 mM Zn 2+ or Co 2+ or by 0.1 mM Cu 2+ or Ni 2+ . The dissociation constant (Kd) for the association of min52 RNA with ATP in solution was measured to be 2.4 ( 0.4 IM under the conditions of the selection and 0.5 ( 0.1 IM under optimized conditions. Finally, we show that the selected CoA aptamer populations contain other RNAs at low frequencies that preferentially recognize intact CoA and are not eluted from the resin by AMP alone.
Stimulant use and HIV disease management among men in same-sex relationships.

Background Research conducted to date has focused primarily on identifying individual-level, psychological determinants of stimulant use and HIV disease management. The present cross-sectional study examined relationship factors as correlates of stimulant use and HIV disease management among men who have sex with men (MSM).
Discrimination of area differences by the harbor seal

An earlier investigation of the underwater size discrimination abilities of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) was replicated with Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Performance was equivalent even though there was a marked difference in test behavior and general activity level.
Bacteriophages Encode Factors Required for Protection in a Symbiotic Mutualism

Bacteriophages are known to carry key virulence factors for pathogenic bacteria, but their roles in symbiotic bacteria are less well understood. The heritable symbiont Hamiltonella defensa protects the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum from attack by the parasitoid Aphidius ervi by killing developing wasp larvae. In a controlled genetic background, we show that a toxin-encoding bacteriophage is required to produce the protective phenotype. Phage loss occurs repeatedly in laboratory-held H. defensa-infected aphid clonal lines, resulting in increased susceptibility to parasitism in each instance. Our results show that these mobile genetic elements can endow a bacterial symbiont with benefits that extend to the animal host. Thus, phages vector ecologically important traits, such as defense against parasitoids, within and among symbiont and animal host lineages.
Increasing Physical Activity in Nursing Home Residents Using Student Power, Not Dollars.

Nursing home programs committed to providing quality care need to investigate innovative ways to meet today's budget challenges. The purpose of this article is to describe a creative collaboration between a nonprofit nursing home facility and a suburban university. Through service-learning, undergraduate students planned and implemented Free-Wheelers, an intergenerational physical activity program designed to improve the self-mobility of wheelchair-dependent nursing home residents, with no added cost to the facility and without placing an extra burden on already overwhelmed staff.
Integration of the finite element and beam propagation methods to determine performance of microbend sensors

Many parameters contribute to the performance of microbend sensors. These include fiber core radius, cladding radius, jacket radius, core and cladding refractive indices, core refracti"e index profile, fiber flexural rigidity, light source wavelength, light source power, spatial bend wavelength, number of bends and bend amplitude. Electromagnetic wave theory predicts that power lost from the core in a microbend is optimum when the fiber's spatial bend frequency equals the difference in propagation constants between the propagating and radiated modes.
Textbook Portrayals of Science and Technology Issues in a Television Age

This article examines the role of middle-school science textbooks in dealing with sensitive social and scientific issues. Education specialists compared the ten most widely used sixth- and seventh-grade textbooks to determine the amount and depth of content presented on five major global issues, including the issue of nuclear weapons. Differences between grade levels were also explored. Implications stemming from the content analysis are discussed within the context of a television culture.
Corrosion control in electric power plants—success stories

Abstract Corrosion-related failures in electric power plants often stimulate research aimed at understanding the cause of the failures and at developing cost-effective corrosion control options. This paper describes some of the success stories. Over the last few years, EPRI has helped solve several aqueous corrosion problems using the following approaches: materials selection, coatings, water chemistry control, residual stress modification and corrosion monitoring. These approaches were applied successfully to flue gas desulfurization systems, low pressure steam turbines and boiling water reactor piping. A measure of the success of these corrosion control options is the cost savings of over $570 million documented by only seven of EPRI's over 700 utility members after applying these techniques.
Wear mechanisms that dominate tool-life in machining

The broad concern of the research described in this paper is to identify which of a number of possible tool wear mechanisms have the dominant influence on tool performance for a given toolwork combination. It is proposed that the commercially relevant measure of tool performance is the volume of material worn away from the noseradius region of the tool. A general equation is presented stating that this is affected by adhesion, abrasion, oxidation/adhesion wear, diffusion and plastic deformation of the edge. Micrographs are presented showing these main forms of wear, and the cutting conditions at which they dominate are discussed. The magnitude of the normal stress acting on the cutting edge and the elevated temperature compressive strength of the tool material are shown to limit the maximum rate of metal removal for a particular toolwork combination.
The utility of Allport's conditions of intergroup contact for predicting perceptions of improved racial attitudes and beliefs.

We test the predictive power of perception as it relates to Allport's (1954/1979) classic articulation of the conditions of contact conducive to reducing intergroup prejudice and increasing tolerance. After summarizing theories of prejudice and models of prejudice reduction, as well as recently published reviews of evidence relating to the Contact Hypothesis, we present results of an evaluation of a prejudice reduction program that trains and places college student facilitators in middle and high school classrooms to lead discussions about race. We show that a composite of five classroom climate conditions that the Contact Hypothesis suggests are conducive to prejudice reduction predicts teachers' and college student facilitators' perceptions of change in three aspects of middle and high school student racial attitudes. Students' perceptions of the school interracial climate are modestly predictive of their changes in these three aspects of racial attitudes. However, teacher and facilitator estimates of student outcomes are uncorrelated with actual student outcomes. Implications of these results for prejudice reduction theory and practice are discussed.
Paired electron crystal: Order from frustration in the quarter-filled band

We present a study of the effects of simultaneous charge and spin frustration on the two-dimensional strongly correlated quarter-filled band on an anisotropic triangular lattice. Our conclusions are based on exact diagonalization studies that include electron-electron interactions as well as adiabatic electron-phonon coupling terms treated self-consistently. The broken-symmetry states that dominate in the weakly frustrated region near the rectangular lattice limit are the well known antiferromagnetic state with in-phase lattice dimerization along one direction and the Wigner crystal state with the checkerboard charge order. For moderate to strong frustration, however, the dominant phase is a novel spin-singlet paired-electron crystal (PEC), consisting of pairs of charge-rich sites separated by pairs of charge-poor sites. The PEC, with coexisting charge order and spin gap in two dimensions, is the quarter-filled band equivalent of the valence bond solid (VBS) that can appear in the frustrated half-filled band within antiferromagnetic spin Hamiltonians. We discuss the phase diagram as a function of onsite and intersite Coulomb interactions as well as electron-phonon coupling strength. We speculate that the spin-bonded pairs of the PEC can become mobile for even stronger frustration, giving rise to a paired-electron liquid. We discuss the implications of the PEC concept for understanding several classes of quarter-filled band materials that display unconventional superconductivity, focusing, in particular, on organic charge transfer solids. Our work points out the need to go beyond quantum spin liquid concepts for highly frustrated organic charge-transfer solids such as $\ensuremath{\kappa}$-(BEDT-TTF)${}_{2}$Cu${}_{2}$(CN)${}_{3}$ and EtMe${}_{3}$Sb[Pd(dmit)${}_{2}$]${}_{2}$, which we believe show frustration-induced charge disproportionation at low temperatures. We discuss possible application to layered cobaltates and quarter-filled band spinels.
Development of Speech-Audiometric Materials for Native Spanish-Speaking Adults

The lack of valid and reliable Spanish speech audiometry materials constitutes an important clinical problem. Such tests necessitate the construction of appropriate materials. Analysis of English and Spanish literature on speech audiometry led to the identification of guidelines for new test materials in the Spanish language. Test lists were devised, recorded and used to evaluate 10 normal-hearing native Spanish-speaking subjects. The results obtained led to a final set of recorded lists. Boston College Auditory Test lists may be used successfully with Spanish-speaking patients. The current study should provide the impetus and sufficient guidelines upon which speech stimuli in other languages may be constructed.
BAYESIAN INFERENCE AND DECISION THEORY—A FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION MAKING IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Bayesian inference and decision theory may be used in the solution of relatively complex problems of natural resource management, owing to recent advances in statistical theory and computing. In particular, Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms provide a computational framework for fitting models of adequate complexity and for evaluating the expected consequences of alternative management actions. We illustrate these features using an example based on management of waterfowl habitat. Corresponding Editor: D. B. Lindenmayer.
High reliability process industries: Individual, micro, and macro organizational influences on safety performance

Within the process industries (e.g., chemical and nuclear power plants), safety is of paramount importance. Although there has been much research investigating safety issues in these industries, the current paper reviews and integrates literature pertaining to individual, micro organizational, and macro organizational influences on safety. This paper can serve as a starting point for continued consideration of the influences of social-organizational factors on safety.
ISG15 functions as an interferon-mediated antiviral effector early in the murine norovirus life cycle

ABSTRACT Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are the leading cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Similar to HuNoV, murine noroviruses (MNV) are enteric pathogens spread via the fecal-oral route and have been isolated from numerous mouse facilities worldwide. Type I and type II interferons (IFN) restrict MNV-1 replication; however, the antiviral effectors impacting MNV-1 downstream of IFN signaling are largely unknown. Studies using dendritic cells, macrophages, and mice deficient in free and conjugated forms of interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) revealed that ISG15 conjugation contributes to protection against MNV-1 both in vitro and in vivo . ISG15 inhibited a step early in the viral life cycle upstream of viral genome transcription. Directly transfecting MNV-1 RNA into IFN-stimulated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) lacking ISG15 conjugates bypassed the antiviral activity of ISG15, further suggesting that ISG15 conjugates restrict the MNV-1 life cycle at the viral entry/uncoating step. These results identify ISG15 as the first type I IFN effector regulating MNV-1 infection both in vitro and in vivo and for the first time implicate the ISG15 pathway in the regulation of early stages of MNV-1 replication. IMPORTANCE Type I IFNs are important in controlling murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1) infections; however, the proteins induced by IFNs that restrict viral growth are largely unknown. This report reveals that interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) mitigates MNV-1 replication both in vitro and in vivo . In addition, it shows that ISG15 inhibits MNV-1 replication by targeting an early step in the viral life cycle, MNV-1 entry and/or uncoating. These results identify ISG15 as the first type I IFN effector regulating MNV-1 infection both in vitro and in vivo and for the first time implicate the ISG15 pathway in the regulation of viral entry/uncoating.
Development of large fish farm numerical modeling techniques with in situ mooring tension comparisons

A study is conducted to validate a numerical model for calculating mooring system tensions of a large fish farm containing 20 net pens in the absence of waves. The model is forced using measured current velocity values obtained outside of the farm. Mooring line tensions calculated with the numerical model are compared with load cell field data sets. The approach considers current velocity reduction and load characteristics that occur through the net pen system for both clean and fouled net conditions. Without accounting for the reduction, the numerical model produces excessively conservative results. With reduction, a substantial improvement occurs. Understanding these differences will help to establish appropriate safety factors when designing large marine fish farms using the model. Additional validation studies should be conducted with wave and current forcing to investigate the modeling of large fish farms for exposed or open ocean sites.
Local solution of Laplace's equation via off-axis expansion: application to magnetic field calculation and optimization

Presents a robust and flexible algorithm for the general calculation of the off-axis expansion solution to Laplace's equation. The limiting factor in application of the technique is shown to be a series truncation error and not errors in calculating the numerical derivatives as previously assumed. This remains true even for single precision calculations. Application of the algorithm to the accurate computation of off-axis values of arbitrary magnetic fields from on-axis or coil data is presented. For a single ideal wire, magnetic field accuracies of better than 0.01% of the exact elliptic integral solution can be obtained out to approximately 70-80% of the wire radius. Accuracy improves dramatically (usually by many orders of magnitude) for radii closer to the axis. Results are also shown for thin current disks, thin solenoids and thick coils. The accuracy of field calculations for these sources is substantially the same as for the ideal wire. With these basic "building blocks" it is possible to construct equivalents to many magnetic systems, including systems containing permanent magnets. Extension of the algorithm to multi-source magnetic systems and its use in both the synthesis and optimization of such systems are discussed and results presented. The utility of this technique is not as a replacement for more general codes, but as a rapid and flexible adjunct. The compactness of the method makes it ideal for direct incorporation into other programs.
Deviant behaviors in rural elementary schoolchildren.

A sample of 1567 third- and fourth-grade children in rural Illinois were rated on the Behavior Problem Checklist. The mean frequency of conduct problems, inadequacy-immaturity, personality problems, and socialized delinquency were analyzed by grade, sex, and age. Fourth graders and older children tended to have more problems than did third graders and younger children. Boys had more problems than did girls except on the personality-problem dimension.
Search for the Genes Responsible for Familial Alzheimer's Disease

Inherited or Familial Alzheimer's Disease (FAD) has clearly been shown to be a genetically heterogeneous disorder. Mutations in the gene on chromosome 21 encoding the beta-amyloid protein precursor (APP) have been shown to be linked to 2-3% of FAD kindreds examined around the world. A late onset FAD locus has been mapped to a region of chromosome 19 in which a recently isolated APP-like gene, APLP1 has also been localized, making this gene a strong candidate to harbor a late-onset FAD defect. More recently, a major FAD locus has been mapped to the long arm of chromosome 14. The chromosome 14 locus appears to be mainly linked to the gene defect in early onset FAD pedigrees. Besides the FAD loci on chromosome 21, 19, and 14, at least two other loci must exist since the gene defect in some early- and late-onset FAD pedigrees do not appear to segregate with markers from any of these autosomes. As different gene defects responsible for various forms of FAD are discovered, perhaps, a common basis for the etiology of this devastating disorder can be discerned.
Characterization of different sizes of rat luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor messenger ribonucleic acids.

The LH/CG receptor is uniquely expressed in the gonads of both sexes at specific stages of development. In ovaries, its expression marks particular steps of the ovulation cycle. An enigmatic aspect of expression of the LH/CG receptor is the dramatically diverse transcript sizes [from 7 to < 1 kilobase (kb)] and development-dependent expression of different sizes of mRNAs. It has been thought that mRNAs larger than 2.1 kb encode full-length receptors, whereas those smaller than 2.1 kb encode truncated receptor, because the full-length coding sequence is 2.1 kb. As a first step in elucidation of these diverse mRNAs and corresponding proteins, we have produced a series of cDNA clones and determined their DNA sequences and deduced the amino acid sequences of the resulting proteins. Our data demonstrate that variant mRNAs are produced by alternate splicing and polyadenylation, and they encode significantly shorter truncated receptor peptides. Surprisingly, many of these variant mRNAs are larger than 2.1 kb, an...
Utilization of Behavioral Therapy Services Long-Term After Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Children

Objective: To examine associations of clinical need, defined by elevated parent ratings of child behavior problems and utilization of behavioral health services in young children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and an orthopedic injury (OI) comparison group. Design: Parents completed outcome measures 18 months after injury and at an extended follow-up conducted an average of 38 months postinjury. Setting: Children’s hospitals and a general hospital. Participants: Participants included parents of 3 groups of children injured between 3 and 7 years of age (NZ139): 47 children with complicated mild to moderate TBI, 18 with severe TBI, and 74 with OI. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Parents completed ratings of child behavior, mental health symptomology, and family functioning at both visits; at the extended follow-up, they reported utilization of behavior therapy or counseling services since the 18-month follow-up visit. Results: Children with TBI had more behavior problems than those with OI. Although clinical need at both follow-ups was associated with greater service utilization at the extended follow-up, all groups had unmet needs as defined by a clinical need in the absence of services. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher rates of unmet need across groups. Conclusions: The results document unmet long-term behavioral health needs after both TBI and OI in children and underscore the importance of monitoring and treatment of postinjury behavior problems. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2014;95:1556-63 a 2014 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
Cortactin in cell migration and cancer at a glance.

The actin-nucleation-promoting factor cortactin has emerged not only as a crucial regulator of actin cytoskeletal dynamics, but also as a key player in aggressive cancers ([Buday and Downward, 2007][1]; [Weaver, 2008][2]). Cortactin was first identified as a prominent substrate of the Src
Analysis and optimization of cross-flow reactors with distributed reactant feed and product removal

Abstract A systematic and general model was proposed for the simulation of cross-flow reactors with product removal and reactant feed policies. Six types of cross-flow reactors were analyzed for reversible series-parallel reaction systems and their optimal feed distributions were determined by maximizing the desired product yield at the outlet of the reactor. The performances of reactors with different types of feed policies were compared at their optimal operating conditions. For irreversible reaction systems with lower order in distributed reactant for the desired reaction than those for undesired reactions, a higher yield and selectivity of the desired product could be achieved with the reactors with staged feed than with conventional co-feed reactors and a sufficiently high residence time was required by staged feed reactors to significantly improve the desired product yields and selectivities over those obtained by a co-feed reactor. However, for reversible reaction systems, the desired product yield always reached a maximum value, and then dropped down as the residence time increased. In addition to the kinetic order and residence time requirements, the rate constants of the reactions involved have to fall within certain ranges for the distributed feed reactor to obtain a higher maximum yield than one-stage co-feed reactors. Optimally distributed feed reactors always give higher maximum product yields than evenly distributed reactors with the same number of feed points. However, the improvement of yields is not as great as that between co-feed reactors and evenly distributed reactors. On the other hand, for reaction systems with higher order with respect to the distributed reactant in the desired reaction than the undesired reactions, co-feed reactors always give higher yield than staged feed reactors.
Decomposition of nets

Abstract An improved mode of representation for networks resulting from process simulation flowcharts is presented based on the signal flowgraph concept. Decomposition of maximal cyclical nets in the digraph by a minimal cut-vertex set becomes a simple three-step procedure of reduction to intervals, elimination of self-loops and processing of node pairs associated with two-way edges. Identification of cyclical nets is obtained as a by-product of decomposition. The procedure is applicable to equation-ordering problems if the output set is selected a priori.
Balanced Realization of Separable-Denominator Multidimensional Systems

We present a general framework for internal balancing and model order reduction for an important class (separable denominator) of multidimensional systems. It is shown that the internally balanced realizations for denominator-separable n-dimensional digital systems can be obtained by solving certain coupled Lyapunov equations. The proposed balancing and order reduction technique is illustrated by applying it to obtain low-order approximations of Gaussian and Laplacian-Gaussian infinite-impulse-response filters.
Design and baseline data from the Management of Sadness and Anxiety in Cardiology (MOSAIC) randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Depression and anxiety in cardiac patients are independently associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including mortality. Collaborative care (CC) programs, which use care managers to assess patients, coordinate care, and perform therapeutic interventions, have proven effective in managing depression in this population. However, no prior CC intervention has simultaneously managed depression and anxiety disorders, and there has been minimal study of CC in high-risk cardiac inpatients. Materials and methods The Management of Sadness and Anxiety in Cardiology (MOSAIC) study was a prospective randomized trial of a low-intensity CC intervention, compared to enhanced usual care, for patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, or arrhythmia, and diagnosed with depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or panic disorder (PD). The primary outcome measure for MOSAIC was mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL), measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-12. Additional outcomes included psychological, functional, and medical outcomes, including rehospitalizations. Results A total of 183 eligible participants were enrolled (92 collaborative care, 91 enhanced usual care); 94% of depressed patients reported being depressed for > 1 month, and 53% of those with GAD reported clinically significant anxiety for > 1 year. One hundred thirty-three patients had depression, 118 had GAD, and 19 had PD; 74 participants (40%) had two or more of the disorders. Conclusion The MOSAIC trial will provide data regarding whether an intervention that concurrently manages these common psychiatric disorders results in meaningful improvements in HRQoL, psychiatric symptoms, and medical outcomes in cardiac patients at high risk for adverse outcomes.
CTG Triplet Repeats from Human Hereditary Diseases Are Dominant Genetic Expansion Products in Escherichia coli

The relative ability of the 10 triplet repeat sequences to be expanded in Escherichia coli was determined. Surprisingly, CTG tracts are expanded at least 8 times more frequently than any of the other nine triplets. Low levels of expansion were found also for CGG, GTG, and GTC. Thus, the structure of the CTG repeats and/or their utilization by the DNA synthetic systems in vivo must be quite different from the other triplets. These data further validate this genetically defined system for elucidating molecular mechanisms of expansion and may explain why most triplet repeat hereditary neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disease genes contain CTG repeats.
Neurofunctional effects of quetiapine in patients with bipolar mania.

Objectives Several lines of evidence suggest that abnormalities within portions of the extended limbic network involved in affective regulation and expression contribute to the neuropathophysiology of bipolar disorder. In particular, portions of the prefrontal cortex have been implicated in the appearance of manic symptomatology. The effect of atypical antipsychotics on activation of these regions, however, remains poorly understood. Methods Twenty-two patients diagnosed with bipolar mania and 26 healthy subjects participated in a baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging scan during which they performed a continuous performance task with neutral and emotional distractors. Nineteen patients with bipolar disorder were treated for eight weeks with quetiapine monotherapy and then rescanned. Regional activity in response to emotional stimuli was compared between healthy and manic subjects at baseline; and in the subjects with bipolar disorder between baseline and eight-week scans. Results At baseline, functional activity did not differ between subjects with bipolar disorder and healthy subjects in any region examined. After eight weeks of treatment, subjects with bipolar disorder showed a significant decrease in ratings on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) (p < 0.001), and increased activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (p = 0.002); there was a significant association between increased right OFC activity and YMRS improvement (p = 0.003). Conclusions These findings are consistent with suggestions that mania involves a loss of emotional modulatory activity in the prefrontal cortex—restoration of the relatively greater elevation in prefrontal activity widely observed in euthymic patients is associated with clinical improvement. It is not clear, however, whether changes are related to quetiapine treatment or represent a non-specific marker of affective change.
Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism-Based Genetic Relationships Among Weedy Amaranthus Species

Weedy Amaranthus species frequently cause economically significant reductions in crop yields. Accurate identification of Amaranthus species is important for efficient weed control, but Amaranthus species can interbreed, which might cause difficulty when identifying hybrid-derived specimens. To determine which of several economically important weedy Amaranthus species are most genetically similar, and thus most likely to produce viable hybrids, we performed amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)-based unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis on 8 of these species, with 141 specimens representing 98 accessions. The analysis grouped the specimens into four principal clusters composed of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) and spiny amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus L.); Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii S. Wats.), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), and smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus L.); waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer) and sandhills amaranth (Amaranthus arenicola I.M. Johnst.); and tumble pigweed (Amaranthus albus L.). The cluster analysis provided evidence suggesting hybridization among Powell amaranth, redroot pigweed, and smooth pigweed. Further investigations using molecular analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region from atypical plants supported this notion. Three species, Palmer amaranth, sandhills amaranth, and waterhemp, are dioecious; nevertheless, the Palmer amaranth and waterhemp-sandhills amaranth clusters were distinct from each other. The Palmer amaranth-spiny amaranth cluster included a cluster of Palmer amaranth and two clusters of spiny amaranth, a monoecious species. Thus the dioecious species Palmer amaranth and waterhemp may not necessarily hybridize with each other more readily than they would to one or more of the monoecious Amaranthus species.
INHERITANCE OF RESISTANCE TO LOOSE AND COVERED SMUT IN A HYBRID OF EARLY GOTHLAND AND VICTOR OATS

The Early Gothland variety of oats has shown a marked difference in its behavior to the Missouri races of loose (Ustilago Avenae (Pers.) Jens.) and covered (U. levis (K. & S.) Magn.) smuts. It has proved to be very susceptible to the former and has been almost entirely resistant to the latter. The Victor variety, on the other hand, has been very susceptible to both the loose and covered smuts; in fact it has consistently been one of the most susceptible varieties that I have grown in my various experiments, usually I00 percent of the inoculated plants being infected. In connection with the experiments with the hybrid recorded in this paper, these two varieties have been inoculated with each of the smuts and grown for direct comparison, the data being recorded in table i. During the years I926-I93I, 73 plants of Early Gothland and 49 plants of Victor have been inoculated with the loose smut and all of them (ioo percent) have been infected. In comparative experiments, 208 plants of Early Gothland have been inoculated with the covered smut and only 2 (slightly less than i percent) have been infected, these 2 smutted plants occurring in the field in I928. Victor, on the other hand, showed high susceptibility, I87 plants out of i88 inoculated (99.4 percent) being smutted. Similar results obtained in many other types of experiments during the same years confirm these results on the behavior of the two varieties with reference to loose and covered smut. Early Gothland is a late maturing oat with moderately large panicles, the branches of which droop slightly at the outer ends. The spikelets are usually two-grained, rarely three-grained. Awns are rather numerous on the spikelets, but they are not fully developed nor twisted at the base. The glumes of the grains are white or pale yellowish; the outer grains are rather long (I8-22 mm.), slender, and long pointed. Victor is also a late maturing oat. It grows quite tall with large, rank stems and broad leaves. The panicles are large and wide-spreading, with coarse branches drooping from the middle outward. Awns are numerous in the panicle, generally having a twisted base, and frequently geniculate. The spikelets are usually two-grained. The glumes are brownish black to black, although the short tips are nearly white. The grains are large, plump, the outer ones usually about I8-22 mm. long, and short pointed. 1 Brooklyn Botanic Garden Contributions no. 63. Published at the expense of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, out of the order determined by the date of receipt of the manuscript. I94
Débridement and closed packing for the treatment of necrotizing pancreatitis.

Objective To evaluate the results of debridement and closed packing for necrotizing pancreatitis and to determine the optimal timing of surgical intervention based on patient outcomes. Methods Between February 1990 and November 1996, 64 consecutive patients with necrotizing pancreatitis were treated with necrosectomy followed by closed packing of the cavity with stuffed Penrose and closed suction drains. The mean APACHE II score immediately before surgery was 9, and 31% of the patients had organ failure. Patients were stratified with an outcome score based on death and major complications; this was correlated with the timing of surgical intervention. The data were then subjected to cut-point analysis by sequential group comparison. Results Patients underwent surgery a median of 31 days after diagnosis. Fifty-six percent had infected necrosis. The mortality rate was 6.2% and was no different in infected or sterile necrosis. Eleven patients required a second surgical procedure and 13 required percutaneous drainage; a single surgical procedure sufficed in 69%. Enteric fistulae occurred in 16% of patients. The mean hospital stay after surgery was 41 days, and the interval until return to regular activities was 147 days. A significant negative correlation between duration of pancreatitis and outcome scores was found, and sequential group comparison demonstrated that the change point at which significantly better outcomes were encountered was day 27. Conclusion Debridement of pancreatic necrosis followed by closed packing and drainage is accomplished with a low mortality rate and reduced rates of complications and second surgical procedures. Although intervention is best deferred until the demarcation of necrosis is complete, delay beyond the fourth week confers no additional advantage.
Data Acquisition, Reconstruction and Display for the Donner 280-Crystal Positron Tomograph

The imaging system for the Donner 280-Crystal Positron Tomograph is described. The architecture of the hardwired data acquisition system (histogrammer) allows a data rate in excess of two million events/second while simultaneously correcting for accidental events. The histogrammer has eight memory cards to allow separate accumulation of time-slices of the cardiac cycle, or multiple-buffering for rapid sequential studies. Transfer time from the double-bussed histogrammer to a disk of the host computer system is less than one second. A hardwired device is able to reconstruct a 256×256 image from 140 angles in less than three seconds, but since calibration and correction for attenuation are presently performed in software, this time is increased to about 10 seconds. Images are displayed on a 256×256 raster scan display system with image manipulation capabilities.
Domestic Violence: Intersectionality and Culturally Competent Practice by Lettie L. Lockhart and Fran S. Danis (Eds.)

Countless victims of domestic violence remain silent even as they are emotionally, sexually, and physically beaten and killed by their intimate partners. What obstacles do these victims face in get...
Glycerol monolaurate antibacterial activity in broth and biofilm cultures.

Background Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is an antimicrobial agent that has potent activity against gram-positive bacteria. This study examines GML antibacterial activity in comparison to lauric acid, in broth cultures compared to biofilm cultures, and against a wide range of gram-positive, gram-negative, and non-gram staining bacteria. Methodology/principal findings GML is ≥ 200 times more effective than lauric acid in bactericidal activity, defined as a ≥ 3 log reduction in colony-forming units (CFU)/ml, against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes in broth cultures. Both molecules inhibit superantigen production by these organisms at concentrations that are not bactericidal. GML prevents biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Haemophilus influenzae, as representative gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, tested in 96 well microtiter plates, and simultaneously is bactericidal for both organisms in mature biofilms. GML is bactericidal for a wide range of potential bacterial pathogens, except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae. In the presence of acidic pH and the cation chelator ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, GML has greatly enhanced bactericidal activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae. Solubilization of GML in a nonaqueous delivery vehicle (related to K-Y Warming®) enhances its bactericidal activity against S. aureus. Both R and S, and 1 and 2 position lauric acid derivatives of GML exhibit bactericidal activity. Despite year-long passage of Staphylococcus aureus on sub-growth inhibitory concentrations of GML (0.5 x minimum bactericidal concentration), resistance to GML did not develop. Conclusions/significance GML may be useful as a broad-spectrum human or animal topical microbicide and may be useful as an environmental surface microbicide for management of bacterial infections and contamination.
Ibn Khaldūn, Ibn al-Khaṭīb and Their Milieu: A Community of Letters in the Fourteenth-Century Mediterranean

Despite the calamities of the fourteenth century, the Black Death, the disintegration of political power, and the destructive rivalry between North African and Andalusī rulers, the correspondence of two scholars and ministers, Ibn al-Khaṭīb and Ibn Khaldūn, reveals a network of intellectual contacts maintained above the fray. As Ibn al-Khaṭīb’s famous essay, the “Art of Being a Minister,” made clear, the intelligentsia saw itself as both within and above the political milieu. The conferring of diplomas from teacher to student was based as much on personal loyalty as on scholarship. In the same century, however, many members of the intellectual club, including Ibn Khaldūn and his teachers, complained that rulers limited the traditional freedoms of the scholars and ministers. Ibn Khaldūn articulated these moves as assaults on true scholarship. The intellectuals writing the history of the fourteenth-century Mediterranean were not simply agents of the rulers they worked for; rather, even as rivals they saw themselves as guardians in a family of letters, linked more by the ijāza than by blood. They were, or at least aspired to be, members of an intellectual class that transcended political and, sometimes, religious boundaries.
The effect of pollen irradiation on reproductive capacity, seedling growth, and variation of Betula nigra—II. Seedling growth and induced variation

Betula nigra seedlings were raised from controlled crosses made with pollen exposed to 0, 0·5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 kR of gamma radiation. Plants from the 8 kR treatment had poorer survival than those from all other treatments and were 11·5 per cent shorter than the controls. Their leaves also averaged 11·0 per cent smaller than those of the control plants but leaf length/width was unchanged. Dry weights of leaves, stems and roots after 8 kR were reduced to 79·7, 72·1 and 62·6 per cent, respectively, of those of the controls. Seedlings from this treatment also had the greatest shoot/root ratio. The 1 kR exposure appeared to have a stimulating effect on plant height, leaf size, and dry matter accumulation, but these increases were not statistically significant. Pollen irradiation had a pronounced effect on seedling variation. Plants with abnormal leaves occurred at a frequency of 11·5 per cent in the 8 kR population with asymmetry as the most common type of leaf abnormality. Seedlings with abnormal stems only were rare, whereas plants with various combinations of abnormal leaves and stems increased with the exposure level up to 24·7 per cent after 8 kR. In addition, this treatment level gave rise to 8·2 per cent dwarfs and to 7·7 per cent stunted plants. Thus, the 8 kR exposure resulted in 53·3 per cent aberrant plants, indicating that pollen irradiation should be an effective method of inducing and increasing variation in this species.
Ethylenedioxy-PIP2 Oxalate Reduces Ganglioside Storage in Juvenile Sandhoff Disease Mice

Sandhoff disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the lysosomal hydrolase β-hexosaminidase. Deficiency in this enzyme leads to excessive accumulation of ganglioside GM2 and its asialo derivative, GA2, in brain and visceral tissues. Small molecule inhibitors of ceramide-specific glucosyltransferase, the first committed step in ganglioside biosynthesis, reduce storage of GM2 and GA2. Limited brain access or adverse effects have hampered the therapeutic efficacy of the clinically approved substrate reduction molecules, eliglustat tartrate and the imino sugar NB-DNJ (Miglustat). The novel eliglustat tartrate analog, 2-(2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-2-yl)-N-((1R,2R)-1-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1, 4]dioxin-6-yl)-1-hydroxy-3-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)propan-2-yl)acetamide (EtDO-PIP2, CCG-203586 or “3h”), was recently reported to reduce glucosylceramide in murine brain. Here we assessed the therapeutic efficacy of 3h in juvenile Sandhoff (Hexb−/−) mice. Sandhoff mice received intraperitoneal injections of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or 3h (60 mg/kg/day) from postnatal day 9 (p-9) to postnatal day 15 (p-15). Brain weight and brain water content was similar in 3h and PBS-treated mice. 3h significantly reduced total ganglioside sialic acid, GM2, and GA2 content in cerebrum, cerebellum and liver of Sandhoff mice. Data from the liver showed that 3h reduced the key upstream ganglioside precursor (glucosylceramide), providing evidence for an on target mechanism of action. No significant differences were seen in the distribution of cholesterol or of neutral and acidic phospholipids. These data suggest that 3h can be an effective alternative to existing substrate reduction molecules for ganglioside storage diseases.
Effect of inflammatory bowel disease on absorption and disposition of prednisolone.

The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of prednisolone after doses of oral prednisone and intravenous prednisolone were determined in seven patients receiving corticosteroids for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in active disease and remission. Prednisone absorption and conversion to the active form of prednisolone was complete in both disease phases. Pharmacokinetic parameters for total and free (unbound) prednisolone did not differ significantly between disease phases. Differences in protein binding were observed between active disease and remission with the fractional binding of prednisolone to plasma proteins decreased in active disease. This may be accounted for by decreased plasma albumin concentrations in active disease. Alpha 1 -acid glycoprotein concentrations were significantly higher in active disease but did not contribute to the overall binding of prednisolone.
Using manipulation primitives for brick sorting in clutter

This paper explores the idea of manipulation-aided perception and grasping in the context of sorting small objects on a tabletop. We present a robust pipeline that combines perception and manipulation to accurately sort Duplo bricks by color and size. The pipeline uses two simple motion primitives to manipulate the scene in ways that help the robot to improve its perception. This results in the ability to sort cluttered piles of Duplo bricks accurately. We present experimental results on the PR2 robot comparing brick sorting without the aid of manipulation to sorting with manipulation primitives that show the benefits of the latter, particularly as the degree of clutter in the environment increases.
RFI MITIGATION AND THE SKA

Radio frequency interference (RFI) has plagued radio astronomy from its inception. The Workshop on the Mitigation of Radio Frequency Interference in Radio Astronomy (RFI2004) was held in Penticton, BC, Canada in July 2004 in order to consider the prognosis for the RFI problem, in particular as it impacts the planned Square Kilometre Array (SKA). This paper concludes that RFI is unlikely to be a “showstopper” in achieving SKA science goals, but that improved RFI mitigation technology may nevertheless be essential in order to take advantage of the vastly improved sensitivity, bandwidth, and field-of-view. Reported results provide some optimism that the desired improvements in RFI mitigation technology are possible, but indicate that much more work is required.
Using design to drive organizational performance and innovation in the corporate workplace: implications for interprofessional environments

AbstractLearning and working are increasingly inseparable social processes characterized by a mix of routine and non-routine activities, which are meant to sustain an optimal balance of creative risk taking, idea exploration and development of professional mastery. Learning and working are embedded in broader social institutions such as universities, academic medical centers, professional organizations and business firms. The future of learning and working is witnessing a blurring of these institutional boundaries, and consequently, a spanning of disciplines and professions that have traditionally assimilated and oriented people around knowledge domains. Learning and working practices are increasingly less defined by bureaucratic controls and are, instead, more collaborative, fluid and interdisciplinary. One of the most tangible manifestations of this shift is in the spaces and places where learning and working activities happen and where people interact and organize. This article explores these learning ...