cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compartmental Utilization of Carboxyl-14C-Tripalmitin by Tissue Homogenate of Pine Seeds

A tissue homogenate of megagemetophyte of germinating seeds of Jeffrey pine (Pinus Jefferii Grev. and Balf.) was incubated with sonication-dispersed and albumin-carried (14)C-tripalmitin in order to elucidate the sequential and quantitative role of cellular organelles in utilizing lipid reserve in seeds. After 5 minutes at 30 C, 25% of the tracer was localized in the fat body fraction, 9% in the pellet containing mitochondria and glyoxysomes, 14% in the supernatant, and 2% was found as CO(2). Radioactivity increased with time of incubation in the latter three fractions indicating the forward direction of utilization. Fat bodies contained mainly lipases and hydrolyzed the tracer to palmitate with diglyceride and monoglyceride as intermediates. About two-thirds of the palmitate had left the fat bodies in 5 minutes and entered the pellet fraction within which the tracer was distributed 1:2 in mitochondria and glyoxysomes, respectively. Longer incubation reduced the ratio to 1:3 while both organelles acquired more radioactive intermediates. Labeled acetyl-CoA and intermediate of beta-oxidation were found in both organelle-containing fractions. The supernatant fraction contained radioactive diglycerides, monoglycerides, palmitate, sterol esters, and phospholipids, indicating lipase activity and direct utilization of fatty acid for the synthesis of sterol esters and polar lipids.
Sound velocities, elastic constants: Temperature dependence

I describe a simple physics-based relationship for describing and predicting the temperature dependence of solid-state sound velocities and elastic constants. Originating in an Einstein-oscillator model, the relationship applies to essentially all solid types: successful uses range from monocrystal diamond, various elemental polycrystals, through multiphase steels, to epoxy-matrix composites.
Mediastinal granuloma and mediastinal fibrosis

Mediastinal granuloma/mediastinal fibrosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the mediastinum. Mediastinal granuloma is the abnormal enlargment of mediastinal lymph nodes by granulomatous inflammation, is usually asyptomatic or minimally symptomatic, and is often detected on chest radiographs taken for other reasons. In contrast, mediastinal fibrosis is extensive fibrous tissue throughout the middle mediastinum causing compression, encasement, or invasion of the large bronchi, superior vena cava, pulmonary veins, or esophagus, often with serious clinical consequences. Some patients may exhibit a clinical entity characterized by enlarged fibrotic and/or calicified lymph nodes with a variable amount of fibrosis that may be asymptomatic, or may cause symptoms by compression or invasion of structures in the mediastinum. Clinical manifestations may be due to superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction, esophageal compression, large airway involvement, pulmonary artery or pulmonary vein narrowing, or laryngeal or phrenic nerve impingement. Definitive diagnosis is traditionally made on the basis of a surgical exploration and biopsy, either a mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy; however, characteristic findings on computed tomography (CT) of the chest may be sufficient for a diagnosis in a certain number of cases. The best therapy is unknown. Antifungal therapy and corticosteroids have been reported effective in some cases. Surgical resection of localized mediastinal granuloma or fibrosis causing symptoms is often effective. However, surgical resection of extensive mediastinal fibrosis usually is not feasible.
The Effects of Food Stamps on Food Expenditures: Comment

In a recent issue of the Journal, Devaney and Fraker (DF) warn us of a statistical problem (sample weights) in complex cross-section surveys; however, they ignore other econometric difficulties that raise serious questions about their conclusions. In estimating the marginal propensity to consume food out of food stamp benefits (MCPf) they conclude that the estimates "are very sensitive to the use of weighted or unweighted data" (p. 99). They find that the weighted estimates of MPCf out of food stamps are approximately double the unweighted estimates, even when sample stratifiers are included in the model. They conclude that researchers must "carefully examine the sampling weights in conjunction with any future analysis of the effects of food stamp benefits . . ."(p. 104). With the increasing availability and use of crosssectional data sets in economic analysis, DF appropriately raise the issue of weighting schemes in parameter estimation. We want to reinforce the authors'
Ambivalent reactions in the parent and offspring relationship

Theory suggests that aging parents and their adult children experience ambivalence (conflicting emotions) as a result of unclear norms governing the tie between them. This study investigated personality differences and relationship context differences in ambivalence, as well as the reactions of parents and offspring to each other. As part of the Adult Family Study, 474 individuals from 158 family triads consisting of a mother, father, and son or daughter aged 22 to 49 years completed telephone interviews, in-person interviews, and questionnaires. Multilevel models revealed that poor parental health and neuroticism in parents and offspring were associated with greater ambivalence. Surprisingly, investment in competing roles was associated with less ambivalence. Parents also experienced greater ambivalence when offspring scored higher on neuroticism, rated the parent as less important, or were less invested in their own spousal role. Parents' characteristics were not associated with offspring's ambivalence. Parents appear to react to their children's personality and achievements even after children are grown.
Cavity ringdown measurements of mercury and its hyperfine structures at 254 nm in an atmospheric microwave plasma: spectral interference and analytical performance

The plasma-cavity ringdown spectroscopic (Plasma-CRDS) technique has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for elemental and isotopic measurements in recent studies. This work reports the first application of plasma-CRDS to measurements of elemental mercury and its stable isotopes at the 254 nm transition under atmospheric conditions. A microwave-induced plasma (MIP) operating at 80–100 W is used to generate Hg atoms from standard HgCl2 solutions diluted by 2% nitric acid solvent. It is found that a background absorption, attributed to the overlap of two broadened rovibrational transitions R21(21) and P1(15) of the OH A-X (3-0) band located at 253.65 nm, generates significant spectral interference with the absorption peak of Hg at 254 nm. With an optimized operating condition, including plasma powers, gas flow rates, and laser beam positions in the plasma, the detection sensitivity of Hg is determined to be 9.1 ng ml−1 in aqueous solution, equivalently 221 pptv in the gas phase; this detection limit is approximately 2-fold higher than the theoretical detection limit, 126 pptv, which was estimated by using the parameters of the instrument system and the calculated absorption cross-section, 2.64 × 10−14 cm2 atom−1, of the transition under atmospheric plasma conditions. High-resolution spectral scans show a clear contour of the stable isotopes of the 254 nm transition. The technical challenges encountered and the potential for further development of the Hg analyzer using the MIP-CRDS technique are discussed.
Differential regulation of endothelial cell adhesion, spreading, and cytoskeleton on low-density polyethylene by nanotopography and surface chemistry modification induced by argon plasma treatment

Plasma treatment of polymer surfaces can modify the nanoscale roughness, wettability, and oxygen surface functionalities. However, how these modifications regulate cell behavior is not well understood. The objective of this investigation was to examine adhesion, spreading, and cytoskeleton of vascular endothelial cells seeded on low-density polyethylene surfaces modified by Ar plasma. In the absence of serum, adhesion and spreading of the cells and actin filament assembly were enhanced by high-energy Ar plasma-induced hydrophilicity and formation of C-O groups at the surface. Although serum increased cell adhesion and spreading on untreated surfaces for a relatively short period, this behavior was not stable for a long time. In contrast to the untreated polymer surfaces, serum suppressed cell adhesion and spreading on the plasma-treated surfaces. The preadsorption of albumin from the bovine serum on the polymer surfaces inhibited cell adhesion and spreading. Results demonstrate the differential effects of Ar plasma-induced surface modifications on endothelial cell behavior and provide insight into complex interactions among polymer surfaces, adsorbed proteins, and cells. The findings of this study have significant implications in surface engineering for vascular repair.
Space-Time Symmetry Restrictions on Transport Coefficients. III. Thermogalvanomagnetic Coefficients

Further development is given of the application to thermogalvanomagnetic coefficients of basic equations determining space-time symmetry restrictions. Material omitted from tables published by the author is supplied. Also, the thermogalvanomagnetic coefficients are expanded in powers of the components of the magnetic field, and the symmetry restrictions imposed on the expansion coefficients are discussed. The method is apparently also applicable to other transport coefficients and for other fields.
Repeat stereotactic radiosurgery of arteriovenous malformations : Factors associated with incomplete obliteration

Second stereotactic radiosurgery procedures were required in 45 patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) who initially had incomplete obliteration. Repeat radiosurgery was performed at a median of 39 months (range, 24-71 mo) after the first stage. The median AVM volume at the first procedure was 6.0 ml (range, 0.2-18.0 ml). Thirty-seven patients (82%) had AVMs of Spetzler-Martin Grades III through VI. A retrospective analysis revealed definite causes for incomplete obliteration after the first procedure in 33 patients (73%). Incomplete angiographic definition of the nidus was the most frequent factor (57%) associated with failed radiosurgery. Three patients (7%) had recanalization of the AVM nidus after prior embolization; four patients (9%) had incomplete nidus recognition, because AVM vessels were not visualized in the presence of a hematoma. "Radiobiological resistance" was another potential factor associated with failed radiosurgery in 17 patients (38%). Our current technique for volume determination and dose planning includes stereotactic magnetic resonance angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and complete cerebral angiography (including superselective and external carotid artery injections, as indicated). Integrated multiplanar high-resolution imaging will likely increase the rate of AVM obliteration after stereotactic radiosurgery.
Turbulent drag reduction by polyacrylic acid

Abstract : Polyacrylic acid was synthesized to high molecular weight, then studied as a drag reducing agent in dilute solutions of variable pH and ionic strength, the polymer being in both non-ionized and polysalt forms. As the polymer varies from the non-ionized polycarboxylic acid in the form of a compact coil at pH 2 to the polycarboxylate salt in the form of a very highly extended coil in solutions of low ionic strength, its effectiveness in drag reduction continuously increases. (Modified author abstract)
Seasonality of canine leptospirosis in the United States and Canada and its association with rainfall.

A retrospective study was undertaken to describe seasonal patterns of leptospirosis diagnosed at veterinary teaching hospitals in the United States and Canada, and to determine if occurrence of cases (diagnoses) was associated with rainfall. The veterinary medicine database (VMDB) was searched for records of dogs in which a diagnosis of leptospirosis was made, and average monthly rainfall recorded at the city where each hospital is located was calculated from historical data. Time-series analysis was used to identify the variables that best described occurrence of cases of leptospirosis. Three-hundred and forty dogs were diagnosed with leptospirosis at 22 veterinary teaching hospitals between 1983 and 1998. Most cases (n = 184) were diagnosed between August and November during each year of the study. A significant correlation (r = 0.41) was detected between the number of cases of leptospirosis diagnosed and average rainfall recorded 3-months prior to diagnosis. The best-fitting (Akaike's corrected information criterion = 2.01) regression on the leptospirosis case series included cases diagnosed in the previous month and 12-months previously, and rainfall recorded 3 months previously. Leptospirosis has a seasonal distribution (late summer to fall), and rainfall can be used to predict the occurrence of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis can affect the health of dogs seriously and its prevalence is increasing, but the disease is preventable by vaccination.
Canine Bile Duct Carcinoma

Twenty-four adenocarcinomas of the hepatobiliary system were found among 110 primary hepatic neoplasms: 22 of these were intrahepatic, one involved the extrahepatic bile duct and one the gall bladder. Histologically, 10 intrahepatic neoplasms were classified as cholangiocarcinoma, and 12 as bile duct cystadenocarcinoma. The former were characterized by tubular structures lined by anaplastic cuboidal or columnar cells with diffuse fibrous stroma, and the latter by multiple cystic structures with papillary and solid areas. Half the bile duct cystadenocarcinomas showed benign cysts and transition to adenocarcinomas. This was seen in only one case of cholangiocarcinoma. The extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma was characterized by tubular structures lined with flattened cuboidal cells with scant stroma. The gall bladder adenocarcinoma contained many acinar structures lined with columnar or cuboidal cells and separated by thin stroma. Distant metastasis was found in 87.5% (21 of 24) sites of metastasis.
Work and benefits: the multiple problems of service sector employment

Services are the most rapidly growing economic sector in contemporary industrialized societies. But an increasing number of studies suggest sharp deterioration in standards of living among workers in the service economy. This paper presents evidence suggesting that employment in services decreases workers’ fringe benefits. Data from 129 industries indicate that fringe benefits are lower in services than in manufacturing, independent of earnings, of worker characteristics and core-peripheral status. The data further indicate multiple handicaps of service sector employment: service workers not only receive fewer benefits than manufacturing workers, but workers in low-end industries — those with the most meager resources — are less likely to receive benefits than comparable workers in manufacturing. The paper concludes by underscoring the implications of industry for understanding benefits and highlighting the growing critique of service industries as eroding the economic well-being of workers.
Comparisons of Maize pericarp color1 Alleles Reveal Paralogous Gene Recombination and an Organ-Specific Enhancer Region

The maize (Zea mays) p1 (for pericarp color1) gene encodes an R2R3 Myb-like transcription factor that regulates the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in floral organs, most notably kernel pericarp and cob. Alleles of the p1 gene condition distinct tissue-specific pigmentation patterns; to elucidate the molecular basis of these allele-specific expression patterns, we characterized two novel P1-rw (for red pericarp/white cob) alleles, P1-rw1077 and P1-rw751∷Ac. Structural analysis of P1-rw1077 indicated that this allele was generated by recombination between p1 and the tightly linked paralogous gene, p2. In the resulting gene, the p1 coding sequence was replaced by the p2 coding sequence, whereas the flanking p1 regulatory sequences remained largely preserved. The red pericarp color specified by P1-rw1077 suggests that the p1- and p2-encoded proteins are functionally equivalent as regulatory factors in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. Sequence analysis shows that the P1-rw1077 allele lacks a 386-bp sequence in a distal enhancer region 5 kb upstream of the transcription start site. An independently derived P1-rw allele contains an Ac insertion into the same sequence, indicating that this site likely contains cob glume–specific regulatory elements.
FDTD signal extrapolation using the forward-backward autoregressive (AR) model

In this paper, the forward-backward autoregressive model is employed to extrapolate time domain signatures generated by the finite difference time domain algorithm with a view to speeding up the process of obtaining the frequency responses of EM systems. It is shown that the present method requires considerably lower-order predictors than those needed in other AR models, e.g, those based on Yule-Walker equations, and is therefore computationally efficient. >
Learning subgroup-specific regulatory interactions and regulator independence with PARADIGM

High-dimensional ‘-omics’ profiling provides a detailed molecular view of individual cancers; however, understanding the mechanisms by which tumors evade cellular defenses requires deep knowledge of the underlying cellular pathways within each cancer sample. We extended the PARADIGM algorithm (Vaske et al., 2010, Bioinformatics, 26, i237–i245), a pathway analysis method for combining multiple ‘-omics’ data types, to learn the strength and direction of 9139 gene and protein interactions curated from the literature. Using genomic and mRNA expression data from 1936 samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, we learned interactions that provided support for and relative strength of 7138 (78%) of the curated links. Gene set enrichment found that genes involved in the strongest interactions were significantly enriched for transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and response to tumor cells. Within the TCGA breast cancer cohort, we assessed different interaction strengths between breast cancer subtypes, and found interactions associated with the MYC pathway and the ER alpha network to be among the most differential between basal and luminal A subtypes. PARADIGM with the Naive Bayesian assumption produced gene activity predictions that, when clustered, found groups of patients with better separation in survival than both the original version of PARADIGM and a version without the assumption. We found that this Naive Bayes assumption was valid for the vast majority of co-regulators, indicating that most co-regulators act independently on their shared target. Availability: http://paradigm.five3genomics.com Contact: moc.scimoneg3evif@eilrahc Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Welfare Reform Amidst Chronic Poverty in the Mississippi Delta

After almost one hundred years of welfare-state expansion that began with Bismarck’s social legislation in the 1880s, welfare regimes have come under siege in all advanced industrial societies. Since the severe recession of the mid1970s, high levels of unemployment accompanied by an aging population created fiscal pressures on governments to look for ways to curtail entitlement programs (Leisering & Leibfried, 1999). In the United States, with its non-integrated approach to social welfare, discussion about welfare limits led to implementation of a welfare-to-work approach to public assistance—namely, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). This legislation has been subject to three major criticisms: (1) only more qualified persons will be able to leave welfare (creaming hypothesis); (2) persons shifting from welfare to work, given low minimum-wage levels, will join the working poor; and (3) the inclusion of only minimal provisions for variation in regional and local economies will disproportionately burden states with low tax revenues and a greater proportion of residents in economically distressed areas. As a state with over half of its counties in the Mississippi Delta region, Louisiana allows us to compare welfare reform in distressed non-metro areas with relatively more vibrant metro communities in the region. Also, Louisiana’s large urban and rural black population allows us to compare more readily metro and non-metro differences without the confounding effect of race present in many other states. In this chapter, we analyze how welfare reform has played out in urban and rural areas in the Mississippi Delta’s context of persistent poverty. To that end, we examine characteristics of Louisiana’s welfare stayers (respondents still getting welfare cash assistance) and leavers (those no longer receiving cash assistance), as well as the labor market success of those working. Recent studies have examined the impact of location on welfare receipt. In general, state-level studies of caseload decline find relatively little difference in how local labor market
Failure to cleave measles virus fusion protein in lymphoid cells. A possible mechanism for viral persistence in lymphocytes

The host-directed cleavage of measles virus fusion protein on infected lymphoid cells was studied to understand the mechanism of viral persistence in lymphoid cells in vivo. Several lymphoblastoid cell lines were infected with measles virus, and the viral glycoproteins expressed on the cell's surface were radiolabeled and analyzed for cleavage of fusion (F(0)) to F(1) by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Daudi and Ramos lymphoblastoid cells were deficient in their ability to cleave measles virus fusion protein and correspondingly produced low titers of infectious measles virus, Daudi cells being more defective than Ramos cells. In contrast, other lymphoblastoid cells studied, Victor, Raji, Wi-L2, RPMI 8866, and Seraphine, cleaved the fusion polypeptide and made significantly more infectious virus. Despite their defect in cleaving F protein, Daudi cells were able to assemble and release (noninfectious) measles virus particles into the fluid phase. The deficit in Daudi cells was corrected by fusing infected Daudi cells with cleavage-competent cells such as Victor or Raji. Furthermore, the cleavage event performed by competent cells could be mimicked at the plasma membrane by treating infected Daudi cells with trypsin, implicating the role of a plasma membrane enzyme in cleaving F(0) to F(1) during measles virus infection. Hence, lymphoid cells deficient in the plasma membrane enzyme required to cleave F protein are permissive for measles virus, maintain viral gene products, produce mostly noninfectious virus, and fail to place the biologic activity F(1) protein on their surfaces.
GSV: a web-based genome synteny viewer for customized data

Background The analysis of genome synteny is a common practice in comparative genomics. With the advent of DNA sequencing technologies, individual biologists can rapidly produce their genomic sequences of interest. Although web-based synteny visualization tools are convenient for biologists to use, none of the existing ones allow biologists to upload their own data for analysis.
Sequential decoding of convolutional codes in channels with intersymbol interference

Sequential sequence estimation for communications channels with convolutionally coded input sequences and intersymbol interference (ISI) is proposed. The receiver consists of a whitened matched filter (WMF) and a vector sequential decoder. The metric of the vector sequential algorithm (SA) is derived. Analytical results for error probability and computational complexity of the sequential decoder are presented. The error probability is found to be dominated by the minimum Euclidean distance between the possible output sequences and the computational distribution is Pareto, typical of a sequential decoder. The computational cut-off code rate R/sub comp/ and its lower bound R/sub comp/' are also derived. Numerical simulation results of the error probability and the computational complexity are presented. Comparing with the Viterbi algorithm (VA) reveals that the SA essentially has the same error performance as that of the VA while its average computational complexity is one to two orders of magnitude less than that of the VA. >
A FD/DAMA network architecture for the first generation land mobile satellite services

A frequency division/demand assigned multiple access (FD/DAMA) network architecture for the first-generation land mobile satellite services is presented. Rationales and technical approaches are described. In this architecture, each mobile subscriber must follow a channel access protocol to make a service request to the network management center before transmission for either open-end or closed-end services. Open-end service requests will be processed on a blocked call cleared basis, while closed-end requests will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis. Two channel access protocols are investigated, namely a recently proposed multiple channel collision resolution scheme which provides a significantly higher useful throughput, and the traditional slotted ALOHA scheme. The number of channels allocated for either open-end or closed-end services can be adaptively changed according to aggregated traffic requests. Both theoretical and simulation results are presented. Theoretical results have been verified by simulation on the JPL network testbed. >
Monomer Exchange Dynamics of Self-Assembled Surfactant Monolayers at the Solid–Liquid Interface

Self-assembly of surface-active agents at solid–liquid interfaces is critical for many processes in nature and technology, including the stability of suspension, detergency, wetting and mineral separation. Historically, a detailed understanding of nanometer-scale layers has emerged. However, surprisingly little is known about their dynamics—the key to non-equilibrium phenomena. Even in equilibrium, there is constant exchange of monomers between bulk and monolayer. Determination of the associated rate constants has been undertaken by evaluating adsorption and desorption kinetics. These methods are not practical near equilibrium adsorption as they rely upon a changing surface concentration. Hence, little can be learned about the true equilibrium state of a monolayer. The importance of dynamical properties at solution interfaces has long been realized and relaxation techniques, utilizing the system’s response to perturbation from equilibrium, have developed into powerful tools. Unfortunately, these methods do not adapt easily to the rather slow kinetics typically found at the solid–liquid interface. The nature of the solid–liquid boundary as a buried interface, together with the vanishingly small fraction of monolayer to bulk molecules poses a serious experimental challenge. Certain spectroscopic techniques are applicable, and in fact infrared attenuated reflection spectroscopy (IR-ATR) has been used to study exchange reactions of aggregates at interfaces. However, this linear IR technique probes an interfacial region extending to hundreds of nanometers—including molecules far beyond the monolayer. Higher interfacial specificity is obtained with nonlinear optical methods. Kinetic studies at the air–water interface by second harmonic generation have been reported. The related but more powerful vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) exploits resonant effects of vibrational transitions, and has demonstrated its applicability for the study of monolayers at mineral–water interfaces. However, its current use for such systems has heretofore been limited to static investigations. Herein, we exploit a wide-band, rapidly tunable IR source within a VSFS system to investigate dynamic phenomena. A simplified, three step, monomer exchange process is described in Figure 1. The surfactant (sodium dodecanoate, C12) is first released from the monolayer (rate constant kD). Secondly monomer adsorption occurs from the bulk into a randomly oriented state (kA) on the substrate (fluorite CaF2). Finally an ordered monolayer is reformed (kO).
Radiation sensitivity of cultured rabbit aortic endothelial cells.

Abstract The radiation response of cultured rabbit aortic endothelial cells was measured using colony formation to determine survival. The dose survival curve was qualitatively similar to those reported for other cell types. At doses of 400 rad and greater, the curve was an exponential function of dose with a Do of 120 rad and an n of 7. Exponentially growing endothelial cell cultures recovered from sublethal damage between two doses of radiation. Plateau phase cultures recovered from potentially lethal damage when incubated for 6 hr between irradiation and assay.
Aqueous drainage device surgery in refractory pediatric glaucoma: II. Ocular motility consequences

Purpose To determine the prevalence of complications relating to ocular motility and alignment in children with refractory congenital and aphakic glaucoma treated with aqueous drainage device surgery. Methods Chart review of consecutive children treated with aqueous drainage devices at Duke University Eye Center from 1995 to 2006 for ocular motility abnormalities and strabismus as well as sensorimotor testing results before and after aqueous drainage device placement. Results Thirty-eight eyes of 30 children with congenital glaucoma and 41 eyes of 32 children with aphakic glaucoma were included. Optotype visual acuity testing could be performed in a minority of children preoperatively. After aqueous drainage device surgery, 14 and 20 eyes, respectively, were >20/100 in the congenital glaucoma and aphakic glaucoma groups. Only a few children had stereopsis or demonstrated binocular function on Worth 4-Dot testing in both groups before and after aqueous drainage device surgery. Horizontal and vertical strabismus was common, especially after aqueous drainage device surgery and occurred in 57% of congenital glaucoma patients and 47% of aphakic glaucoma patients. Motility limitation (both vertical and horizontal) was also common and occurred in 37% overall. Discussion Ocular motility abnormalities and strabismus were common in children after aqueous drainage device surgery. These potential problems should be considered when aqueous drainage device surgery is planned, especially in children with binocularity.
Developmental and genetic aspects of Mutator excision in maize

The regulation of excision of Mu elements of the Mutator transposable element family of maize is not well understood. We have used somatic instability of Mu receptor elements from the Bronze 1 and Bronze 2 loci to monitor the frequency and the timing of excision of Mu elements in several tissues. We show that spot size in the aleurone of a bz2::mu1 stock varies between one to approximately 256 cells. This indicates that excision events begin eight divisions prior to full aleurone differentiation and end after the last division of the aleurone. We show that excision is equally biased for late events in all other tissues studied. A locus on chromosome 5 has been identified that affects spot size, possibly by altering the timing of Mu excision. Using somatic excision as an assay of Mutator activity, we found that activity can change in small sectors of the tassel; however, there are no overall activity changes in the tassel during the period of pollen shedding. We also report the recovery of germinal revertants for the bz1::mu1 and bz2::mu1 alleles. One of these revertant alleles was characterized by Southern blot analysis and found to be similar to the progenitor of the mutable allele.
Marginal association measures for clustered data

The use of correlation coefficients in measuring the association between two continuous variables is common, but regular methods of calculating correlations have not been extended to the clustered data framework. For clustered data in which observations within a cluster may be correlated, regular inferential procedures for calculating marginal association between two variables can be biased. This is particularly true for data in which the number of observations in a given cluster is informative for the association being measured. In this paper, we apply the principle of inverse cluster size reweighting to develop estimators of marginal correlation that remain valid in the clustered data framework when cluster size is informative for the correlation being measured. These correlations are derived as analogs to regular correlation estimators for continuous, independent data, namely, Pearson's ρ and Kendall's τ. We present the results of a simple simulation study demonstrating the appropriateness of our proposed estimators and the inherent bias of other inferential procedures for clustered data. We illustrate their use through an application to data from patients with incomplete spinal cord injury in the U.S.A.
A toolkit for automated support of Ada tasking analysis

A discussion is presented of research on the development of a toolkit that supports general static analysis using a Petri net framework for Ada tasking. The toolkit integrates some custom and general-purpose tools. The custom tools were defined and implemented specifically for research in Ada tasking analysis; the general-purpose tools are Petri net tools developed to support arbitrary Petri-net-based research. The analysis toolkit is divided into two major subsystems. The first is the front-end translator subsystem, which translates Ada source (or design-level source specified in a design language called Ada Tasking Language) into a Petri net format. The translation allows one to base current and future analysis techniques on a model that is both theoretically mature and actively investigated. The second is the back-end information display subsystem, which receives user queries and presents tasking analysis results. Example Ada tasking programs are used to demonstrate the utility of the tools individually as well as collectively. >
Stress and Coping of Midlife Women in Divorce Transition

This article describes stress and coping by decider status. Participants were 154 women aged 34 to 54 years who were recently divorced from their first marriage and were married 3 years prior to divorce. Participants self-selected into decider statuses as initiators, noninitiators, or mutual deciders. Noninitiators indicated not knowing the divorce experience was going to occur, not having enough time to get ready for it, saw it as something someone else did, and perceived it as a threat. Initiators and mutual deciders viewed the divorce as a challenge. Noninitiators were less positive about the divorce experience than were initiators and mutual deciders. Acceptance or resignation differed significantly for noninitiators and mutual deciders but not between noninitiators and initiators. Characterizing midlife divorce transition experiences provides a foundation for developing primary intervention to support personal growth, healing, and a healthy lifestyle.
Computed tomography–planned interstitial brachytherapy for locally advanced gynecologic cancer: Outcomes and dosimetric predictors of urinary toxicity

Abstract Purpose To identify dosimetric predictors of outcome and toxicity in patients receiving CT-planned interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) for gynecologic cancers. Methods and Materials Patients who received ISBT between 2009 and 2014 were reviewed. Demographic, disease specific, treatment, and toxicity data were collected. Logistic regression was used to model toxicity. A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalty was used to identify relevant predictors. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the relation between dosimetric factors and urinary toxicity. Results Seventy-three patients received ISBT (21 at time of cancer recurrence and 52 at the first presentation). Thirty-six patients had cervical cancer, 16 had vaginal cancer, 13 had uterine cancer, and 8 had vulvar cancer. ISBT was performed using both high-dose-rate and low-dose-rate 192 Ir sources (27 low dose rate and 46 high dose rate). With a median followup of 12 months, Grade 3 vaginal, urinary, and rectal toxicity occurred in 17.8%, 15.1%, and 6.8% of patients, respectively. No patients experienced Grade 4 or 5 toxicity. Dose to 0.1cc of urethra predicted for development of Grade 3 urinary toxicity (area under the curve of 0.81; 95% confidence interval: 0.66, 0.96). A 10% probability of a Grade 3 urinary toxicity associated with a dose of 23.1 equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (95% confidence interval: 9.51, 36.27 equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions). Conclusions ISBT is a safe treatment for gynecologic malignancies. The dose to 0.1cc significantly predicts for severe urinary toxicity. Our data suggests that dose to a small urethral volume may be the most significant predictor of urinary toxicity in patients receiving ISBT for gynecologic cancer.
Deubiquitinases Modulate Rapid Functional Responses in Platelets

Protein ubiquitination controls many intracellular processes, including cell cycle progression, transcriptional activation, and signal transduction. Ubiquitination is reversible, involving enzymes that add (ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes) and remove (deubiquitinating enzymes [DUBs]) ubiquitin to and from proteins. Considerable progress has been made in the understanding of ubiquitin conjugation in nucleated cells and its role in regulating protein degradation by proteasomes. Roles for the ubiquitin–proteasome system in anucleate platelets, however, are only now being discovered. See accompanying article on page 2657 Yukawa et al1,2 were the first to demonstrate that platelets possess proteasome activity. More recent next-generation RNA-sequencing and proteomic profiling studies confirmed that platelets express key proteasomal components,3,4 and pharmacological inhibition or genetic disruption of the proteasome regulates megakaryocyte and platelet responses.5,6 Despite these advances, roles for the deubiquitination arm …
Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes of Mass Extinctions

Tony Hallam, 2004, Oxford University Press, New York, 274 p. (Hardcover, US $24.95) ISBN: 0-19-852497-8. Dateline Yucatan: Masters of the Mesozoic Massacred! Dino Demise! Massive Meteor Mayhem! Are We Next?! Pretty much anyone who watches television, reads popular print articles, or surfs the web for a school project “knows” a gigantic meteorite struck Earth 65 million years ago and killed off all the dinosaurs. Some people even “know” that another meteor could strike Earth in the future, and that our own species would be among its victims. Quick! Make a movie—or two or three! E-mail your Congressional Representative: Protect Planet Earth! Sensationalism sells, whether it is in movies, newspapers, politics, or your Historical Geology lecture. Don't get me wrong—I'm all for (almost) anything that will interest the general public, including my students, in science. The abysmal lack of understanding of the nature of science is all too evident among our neighbors, students, and politicians. If I can find that one hook to draw people into a discussion of how scientists “know” about Earth's past, I'm going to grab it. The problem, of course, is when all you get is the hook; the sexy science; the mile-wide-and-an-inch-deep science; the cool hypothesis-of-the-moment science. When it comes to extinction, alas, drama often trumps depth, and dinosaurs overshadow diatoms. Fortunately, there are exceptions … Tony Hallam's Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities is a book for those willing to go …
Beetles of Eastern North America

Beetles account for about 40% of the insect species that have been described in the world, so it is great to see another book that addresses this diverse group. The author previously has written several insect books, including “National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America” and “Field Guide to Beetles of California”. In this book he uses his expertise in beetles and photography to produce a massive field guide showcasing the diversity of beetles of the eastern United States and Canada. View this article in BioOne
Functional sustainability indicators

Sustainability indicators (SIs) are not just traditional performance metrics but are value laden pathways to supporting urban development. This paper presents a functional classification for SIs. The following six classes are used to illustrate the various functions of SIs: (F1) Political and Operational; (F2) Problem Recognition and Awareness; (F3) Justificatory; (F4) Monitoring Control and Reporting; (F5) Normative Guidance; (F6) Communication and Opinion Forming. The Houston Sustainability Indicators (HSI) program was used as a heuristic case study of how the functional classification could be applied. F1 was illustrated by carefully choosing geographic boundaries for the study. F2 was highlighted by careful review of the socio-economics of persons in the Food Desert. F3 was demonstrated by a look at issues of calculating population growth totals and also setting standards for access to parks. F4 was illustrated by a look at Employment figures. F5 was highlighted by a look at affordability in Houston. Lastly F6 was explained by a look at income inequality. This paper is intended to strengthen the importance of sustainability in development planning, through the illustration of key functions for SIs.
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in Blastic Phase: A Model of Heterogeneity and Resistance in Acute Leukemia

The heterogeneity and resistance of chronic myelogenous leukemia in blastic phase (CML-BP) are attributed to: (1) the involvement of the earliest progenitor cell by the disease ptocess and (2) the acquisition of multiple mutational events during the evolution from the chronic to the blastic phase.
Cascadable Optical Logic

A number of optical switching and logic devices have been proposed and demonstrated. Some of the more popular devices include the optical Kerr gate, the nonlinear bistable Fabry-Perot etalon, the nonlinear directional coupler (NLDC), and the nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer (NLMZI) and related fiber-based nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM).
Alienation and political apathy

At the present time, in all the social sciences the various synonyms of alienation have a foremost place in studies of human relations. Investigations of the "unattached," the "marginal," the "obsessive," the "normless," and the "isolated" individual all testify to the central place occupied by the hypothesis of alienation in contemporary social science. ... It has become nearly as prevalent as the doctrine of enlightened self-interest was two generations ago. It is more than a hypothesis; it is a perspective.'
Proton Pump Inhibitor–induced Hyperhidrosis: Important but Not Recognized

ABSTRACT Objective: To discuss the prevalence of hyperhidrosis, its association with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use, and possible underlying mechanism(s) accounting for PPI-induced hyperhidrosis. Methods: We describe 2 patients who presented with hyperhidrosis while on PPI therapy, review the literature regarding PPI-associated hyperhidrosis, discuss a potential mechanism, and provide recommendations for hyperhidrosis evaluation in the setting of PPI use. Results: A 62-year-old man (case 1) presented with hyperhidrosis. Biochemical workup was nondiagnostic except for elevated chromogranin A (CgA) levels. He had been taking lansoprazole. Since PPI therapy can increase CgA levels, lansoprazole was discontinued. CgA levels decreased by 2 weeks, and hyperhidrosis resolved within 4 weeks. Symptoms recurred once PPI therapy was restarted. An 83-year-old man (case 2) presented with hyperhidrosis. He had been on omeprazole for 9 months. Omeprazole was held before performing extensive biochemical workup. Hyperhid...
Morphine metabolism. III. Solubilization and separation of morphine and p-nitrophenol uridine diphosphoglucuronyltransferases.

The separation of morphine and p-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronyltransferases from rat liver microsomes is described. Hepatic microsomes were solubilized using Emalgen 911, a non-ionic polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, in the presence of glycerol and dithiothreitol, and chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose. The elution of three peaks of transferase activity was observed. One peak displayed transferase activity with p-nitrophenol as substrate, one exhibited activity with morphine as substrate, and one displayed activity with either substrate. Neither substrate inhibited the metabolism of the other. Michaelis constants determined for the partially purified preparations were similar to those obtained for native microsomes. These results demonstrate distinct and separate activities for the glucuronidation of p-nitrophenol and morphine in rat hepatic microsomes.
Literatura y política en la «reconstrucción» de Jegua en Resistencia en el San Jorge: una lectura de los archivos personales de Orlando Fals Borda

In Resistencia en el San Jorge, the third volume of Historia doble de la Costa, Orlando Fals Borda rebuilds peasant struggles in Jegua. By personifying the h...
Modular calibrant sets for the structural analysis of nucleic acids by ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry.

This study explored the use of modular nucleic acid (NA) standards to generate calibration curves capable of translating primary ion mobility readouts into corresponding collision cross section (CCS) data. Putative calibrants consisted of single- (ss) and double-stranded (ds) oligo-deoxynucleotides reaching up to ∼40 kDa in size (i.e., 64 bp) and ∼5700 A2 in CCS. To ensure self-consistency among reference CCS values, computational data obtained in house were preferred to any experimental or computational data from disparate sources. Such values were obtained by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and either the exact hard sphere scattering (EHSS) or the projection superposition approximation (PSA) methods, and then plotted against the corresponding experimental values to generate separate calibration curves. Their performance was evaluated on the basis of their correlation coefficients and ability to provide values that matched the CCS of selected test samples mimicking typical unknowns. The results indicated that the predictive power benefited from the exclusion of higher charged species that were more susceptible to the destabilizing effects of Coulombic repulsion. The results revealed discrepancies between EHSS and PSA data that were ascribable to the different approximations used to describe the ion mobility process. Within the boundaries defined by these approximations and the challenges of modeling NA structure in a solvent-free environment, the calibrant sets enabled the experimental determination of CCS with excellent reproducibility (precision) and error (accuracy), which will support the analysis of progressively larger NA samples of biological significance.
Democratization of formal verification with collective intelligence

Formal verification has become an essential method for design, integration and verification of the emerging design IPs and complex systems-on-chips. Despite the great success in proliferating formal in the industry and making it a great companion to simulation and emulation methods, its full power has not been leveraged yet to address the larger spectrum of applications by non-formal experts. To handle this challenge a major effort is still needed to boost its scalability and usability to cope with the emerging complexity of design under verification. In this talk we discuss a new approach for boosting the productivity of formal verification users using an expert system, which is powered by collective intelligence technology, human-machine interface and self guiding and learning rules. Besides the emerging advancements in model checking and proof strategies, expert system helps to break the formal verification complexity and scalability barriers, and make it affordable for a larger set of users, for yet another major leap in the applications and productivity of formal.