cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mre11–Rad50–Xrs2 and Sae2 promote 5′ strand resection of DNA double-strand breaks

The repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination is essential for genomic stability. The first step in this process is resection of 5' strands to generate 3' single-stranded DNA intermediates. Efficient resection in budding yeast requires the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) complex and the Sae2 protein, although the role of MRX has been unclear because Mre11 paradoxically has 3'→5' exonuclease activity in vitro. Here we reconstitute resection with purified MRX, Sae2 and Exo1 proteins and show that degradation of the 5' strand is catalyzed by Exo1 yet completely dependent on MRX and Sae2 when Exo1 levels are limiting. This stimulation is mainly caused by cooperative binding of DNA substrates by Exo1, MRX and Sae2. This work establishes the direct role of MRX and Sae2 in promoting the resection of 5' strands in DNA DSB repair.
Interhemispheric connections of prestriate cortex in monkey.

Abstract 1. 1. The interhemispheric connections of the prestriate area have been studied following section of the splenium in 6 monkeys. 2. 2. At least 6 patches of degeneration following splenial section are seen in the prestriate cortex. These are separate superiorly and inferiorly and come together at the middle. 3. 3. All the regions of degeneration, save one, are known to receive fibers from the striate cortex. 4. 4. The laminar distribution of the degeneration varies at different survival times. At 4 days, it involves all layers though mainly 4, 5 and 6. At later survival times of 10 and 32 days layers 2 and 3 are minimally involved and the degeneration in layer 1 is less than in layers 4, 5 and 6. Additionally, some regions of connection with the opposite hemisphere show degeneration earlier than other. 5. 5. The findings in this work are discussed in relation to previous studies.
Feeding Intolerance in Preterm Infants and Standard of Care Guidelines for Nursing Assessments

Multiple methods have been evaluated to improve the nutritional management of preterm infants; however, nursing assessment for early identification of feeding intolerance symptoms has not yet been addressed. It is crucial for nurses to understand potential physical change they may observe when the preterm infant is experiencing feeding intolerance. Currently, there are no nursing assessment standards of care guidelines that provide focus to feeding intolerance symptoms. Nutritional management of very-low-birth-weight preterm infants varies by institution, which can be a disadvantage when attempting to identify and describe components for the nurse assessment. However, within the literature, there is noteworthy agreement on the symptoms that are commonly associated with feeding intolerance and of the symptom operational definitions. These components are necessary for developing nursing standard of care guidelines that are designed to encourage judicious reporting of early signs/symptoms of feeding intolerance to health care providers, which, in turn, may improve patient outcome.
Validation of the Repertory Grid for Use in Modeling Knowledge

The extrapolation of theories of cognitive modeling from psychological contexts to the domain of information systems design has raised empirical questions regarding the validity and reliability of these techniques in the new applications environment. Kelly's (1955) theory of personal construct psychology (PCP) is one such theory which, together with the repertory grid technique of cognitive modeling, is being explored for use in systems development. Since the repertory grid constitutes a mechanism for both the elicitation and the representation of cognitive models, it has been suggested for incorporation into intelligent front-end interfaces for information storage and retrieval systems (ISRS). Previous applications of the grid have emphasized the personal and ideographic characteristics of personal construct systems. New applications in information systems design require verification of the grid's utility and reliability for rendering faithful representations of impersonal and communal knowledge. The research presented here provides a test of the repertory grid for representing commonality of construing among members of a homogenous group of subjects. Commonality of construing is demonstrated on two sets of constructs. Some differences are observed between constructs generated by the subjects and those provided for them by an “expert.” Implications of this effect for the application of PCP to ISRS design are discussed. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Population-Based Assessment of the Risk of Primary Cesarean Delivery Due to Excess Prepregnancy Weight Among Nulliparous Women Delivering Term Infants

Objective: To estimate the risk of cesarean delivery due to excess prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) in a multistate, US population-based sample. Methods: We analyzed data from the population-based Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) on 24,423 nulliparous women with single, term infants delivered between 1998 and 2000 in 19 states. We calculated BMI from self-reported weight and height. We assessed interactions between prepregnancy BMI and other risk factors. We estimated weighted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for the association between prepregnancy BMI and cesarean section from multiple logistic regression models adjusting for demographic and medical risk factors from the PRAMS questionnaire or birth certificates. Results: The incidence of cesarean delivery increased with increased prepregnancy BMI, from 14.3% (0.8 standard error (SE)) for lean women (BMI < 19.8) to 42.6% (2.0 SE) for very obese women (BMI ≥ 35). The risk of cesarean section differed by presence of any medical, labor and/or delivery complication. Among women with any complication, the estimated adjusted RR for cesarean delivery was 1.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–1.2) among overweight women, 1.3 (95% CI 1.1–1.4) among obese women, and 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–1.6) among very obese women compared with normal weight women. Among women without any complications, the estimated adjusted RR was 1.4 (95% CI 1.0–1.8) among overweight women, 1.5 (95% CI 1.1–2.1) among obese women, and 3.1 (95% CI 2.3–4.8) among very obese women. Conclusion: Excess prepregnancy weight increases the risk of cesarean delivery among nulliparous women giving birth to single, term infants, especially among very obese women without any complications.
Arginine vasopressin enhances memory retroactively in chicks.

White Leghorn cockerels were trained in a one-trial passive avoidance task to suppress their spontaneous pecking behavior at a visually attractive target by precoating the target with an aversive liquid. In a series of experiments, chicks were injected intraventricularly (5 μl/hemisphere) or subcutaneously (10 μl) with either 2.5 or 0.25 μg of arginine vasopressin or with saline. These injections took place 1 min after the 10-sec training period. In one experiment, two groups were injected at 9 or 59 min posttraining. Twenty-four hours after injection, chicks were tested for enhancement of memory for the training task, by presenting them with an uncoated peck target. Chicks that pecked less than did the saline controls were considered to demonstrate enhancement of memory. In all experiments performed with chicks receiving arginine vasopressin between 1 and 9 min posttraining, retroactive enhancement of memory was observed. Chicks receiving injection at 59 min did not exhibit enhancement. These results were interpreted as showing that arginine vasopressin can improve memory retention in a retroactive manner and that there appears to be a temporal limitation on its effect. The response of both avian and mammalian cardiovascular systems to arginine vasopressin is discussed.
Linkages among agronomic, environmental and weed management characteristics in North American sweet corn

Much of our understanding of weed communities and their interactions with crops comes from studies conducted at, or below, the spatial scale of individual fields. This scale allows for tight control of experimental variables, but systematically ignores the potential for regional-scale environmental variation to affect agronomic operations and thereby influence weed management outcomes. We quantified linkages among agronomic, environmental and weed management characteristics of 174 commercial sweet corn fields throughout the north central United States and evaluated crop and weed responses to these variables using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. Multi-model selection indicated that characteristics of weed management systems, especially total cost and herbicide rate, were important predictors of weed diversity, interference and fecundity. Adding agronomic variables, such as planting date, or environmental variables, such as latitude, explained additional variation in weed floristic measures. We tested yield predictions of the most parsimonious CART model against a verification data set comprised of over 1500 published observations from 25 experiments conducted in the major North American regions where sweet corn is grown for processing. Yield values fell within the 95% confidence interval of observed data for most branches of the tree, suggesting the experimental and analytical approaches were reasonably robust. Several characteristics favoring sweet corn productivity and weed management sustainability were identified. This work resulted in easily interpretable models, both by scientists and producers, which place crop and weed responses within the context of regional-scale variation in agricultural management and the environment.
A heterogeneous surface model for the “steady-state” kinetics of the boudouard reaction

An analysis is presented of the steady-state kinetics of the Boudouard reaction, based upon a heterogeneous surface description of carbon. A specific, simplified case of the resultant general heterogeneous surface model (HSM), involving a linear carbon active site distribution and the simple three-step oxygen exchange mechanism for the underlying kinetics, is shown to exhibit the cardinal steady-state rate forms that have appeared in the literature for this reaction. Thus, an HSM description can be viewed as unifying the various steady-state rate formulations. Analysis of the HSM indicates that the actual behavior exhibited by any particular set of gasification rate data in the chemically controlled regime is dependent on surface heterogeneity, as well as temperature and the relative amounts of CO2 and CO. Both first order (e.g., at low PCO2) and half order (e.g., at high PCO2) dependence on PCO2 seem to be the most likely behavior, with zeroth order dependence also possible at very high PCO2. Although the coupling of the rate parameters to the active site distribution of the carbon implies that rigorously there are no truly “intrinsic” rate parameters for the Boudouard reaction, limited numerical results are presented that suggest that at least for some carbons there seems to be a limited range over which some of the parameters vary. It is concluded that energetic heterogeneity of carbon surfaces should be taken into account in kinetic analyses. Interpretation of rate data along these lines promises to yield additional insight into the gasification process.
Sequence and genomic organization of the mouse Lim1 gene.

The sequence and genomic organization of the mouse Lim1 gene were determined. The mouse Lim1 gene has five coding exons. The Lim1 transcription initiation start site was determined by 5′ RACE, indicating that the first exon encodes the translation initiation codon and a 1360-bp 5′ untranslated region. Sequence analysis of the 450-bp upstream of the transcription start site revealed the presence of a CATTAA motif at −32 bp and a CAATT box located in reverse orientation at −68 bp. HNF3β and Pbx1 binding sites were also identified. Like most LIM domain encoding genes, the LIM domains of Lim1 are each encoded on separate and adjacent exons. Knowledge of the sequence and structure of the mouse Lim1 gene provides important information for the genetic manipulation of the Lim1 locus.
Vaso-occlusive and prothrombotic mechanisms associated with tumor hypoxia, necrosis, and accelerated growth in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) has explosive biologic properties with rapid clinical progression leading to death. Its distinguishing pathologic features, necrosis with surrounding pseudopalisades and microvascular hyperplasia, are believed to be instrumental to its accelerated growth. Microvascular hyperplasia arises in response to the secretion of proangiogenic factors by hypoxic pseudopalisades and allows for peripheral neoplastic expansion. Mechanisms underlying necrosis and hypoxia remain obscure, but vaso-occlusive and prothrombotic contributions could be substantial. Recent investigations on the origin of pseudopalisades suggest that this morphologic phenomenon is created by a tumor cell population actively migrating away from a central hypoxic region and that, in at least a significant subset, hypoxia-induced migration appears due to vaso-occlusion caused by intravascular thrombosis. Both vascular endothelial growth factor induced vascular permeability to plasma coagulation factors and the increased neoplastic expression of tissue factor likely contribute to a prothrombotic state favoring intravascular thrombosis. In addition to prothrombotic mechanisms, vaso-occlusion could also result from angiopoietin-2-mediated endothelial cell apoptosis and vascular regression, which follows neoplastic co-option of native vessels in animal models of gliomas. Vaso-occlusive and prothrombotic mechanisms in GBM could readily explain the presence of pseudopalisades and coagulative necrosis in tissue sections, the emergence of central contrast enhancement and its rapid peripheral expansion on neuroimaging, and the dramatic shift to an accelerated rate of clinical progression. Since the hypoxic induction of angiogenesis appears to support further neoplastic growth, therapeutic targeting of the underlying vascular pathology and thrombosis could provide a new means to prolong time to progression.
Mass-spectrometric evidence for spontaneous and angiotensin-induced generation of prostacyclin by perfused cat lungs

Abstract Isolated perfused cat lungs secreted spontaneously a PGI 2 -like substance that relaxed a strip of bovine coronary artery. The presence of PGI 2 was confirmed by the identification of 6-oxo-PGF α by GC-MS. Both bioassay and mass fragmentography showed that PGI 2 was released at a rate of 4 – 12 ng/ml. Generation of PGI 2 by the perfused cat lungs was stimulated by angiotensin II (3 – 10 ng/ml). The above results along with our in vivo experiments point to the lung as an important source of endogenous PGI 2 in the body.
Photofragmentation spectroscopy of MgC2H+4

The observed spectrum can be tentatively assigned to the perpendicular transitions l2Bz,l2BI + 12A1 in C2" geometry. We assign the continuum background to the 12B2 - l2A1 transition. It is likely that reaction on this surface, possibly through insertion into a near linear D-Mg+-D intermediate, is direct and rapid. The presence of sharp, discrete vibrational absorption bands in the reactive fragmentation channel suggests a second, indirect reaction mechanism through a relatively long-lived excited-state complex. We assign this structure to the 12Bl + 12A1 transition. Presumably, reaction occurs indirectly through coupling to the 12B2 state. The discrete structure within a given vibrational band is assigned to K subband rotational transitions (Katt = 0 Kat = 1 and Kaft = 1 - Kat = 0, 2) in o- and p-MgD2+, respectively. Additional unassigned lines may be due to overlapping hot band absorptions or transitions from higher Ka!T states. An alternative spectral assignment based on excited-state spin-orbit fine structure is also noted.
Start/stop control of fixed-pitch wind energy turbines

Improvements based on predictive control are shown for starting and stopping of fixed-pitch wind energy turbines. In predictive control, the issues of wind prediction and control are considered to be separate functions, allowing for greatly enhanced flexibility capabilities and performance in both. This predictive control scheme is simulated under a normal wind speed environment. The results show potential improvements over conventional algorithms. Methods for simulating the minute-average wind speed are also shown in this report and means for calibrating real and simulated wind speed.
Perceptual Stability, Image Size, Binocularity and Creativity:

24 male and female Ss, divided into three groups of 8 Ss each on the basis of their creativity test scores, were tested under fully counterbalanced conditions involving three sizes of Necker cubes,...
Noncontact phosphor thermometry for process control

Manufacturing and other industrial processes often require monitoring and control of temperature. Thermometry based on fluorescence properties of surface-bonded phosphors offers a number of advantages over traditional methods. The method is non-contact, remote, and independent of surface optical properties such as emissivity. Only a thin layer, less than 50 microns thick, is required of fluorescent materials that are temperature-active and chemically stable up to temperatures in excess of 1600 C. Phosphor thermometry has been developed from these high temperature extremes all the way down to cryogenic temperatures within liquid helium dewars. The fluorescence effects are stable in time, not subject to drift and need for repeated recalibration. Measurement techniques often involve use of optical fibers and other components that allow access into confined geometries and environments with high vibration, electromagnetic fields, or other extreme conditions. Uses include thermal management of cutting or shaping tools, monitoring of furnace and combustor walls or internal components, assembly components in automated lines, sheet metal surface thermometry, measurement of rotating components in motors, generators, turbine engines, and similar systems, fiber temperature measurement in textile fiber spinning, etc. Fluorescence measurement yields absolute temperatures, not dependent on references, and can have accuracies of less than 1 K, with precisions well below 0.1 K, providing opportunity for ultra high precision process control, life testing, and quality control.
Significant changes in blood pressure, glucose, and lipids with gastric bypass surgery.

p < 0.01) and systemic blood pressure ( p < 0.05). Weight loss with GBP was also associated with significant reductions in the apoprotein B-containing lipoproteins and the triglyceride and cholesterol composition of these particles. There was a trend ( p < 0.10) toward increased serum levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol following GBP, and significant ( p < 0.05) improvement in HDL subfraction distribution and composition. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of GBP in inducing metabolic changes in the MO population, which may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
Linking mental health and addiction services: a continuity-of-care team model.

Reorganization of mental health care delivery services at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center addressed problems with the coordination of addiction treatment and mental health programming for patients with significant psychiatric and addiction comorbidity. Clinical services were organized into interdisciplinary continuity-of-care teams that follow patients across different levels of care. The teams provide addiction treatment through “universally available” resources such as a partial hospital addiction rehabilitation module. Continuity of care remains within the team structure as clinicians follow patients throughout their rehabilitation course. Patient and staff satisfaction focus on improved accessibility of addiction services and continuity of care providers across time and levels of care. Overall inpatient utilization and recidivism decreased after model implementation.
User recalled occurrences of usability errors: implications on the user experience

Usability testing determines what problems thwart goal attainment, but what problems shape the user experience? This study gathered users recalled instances of frustration from using various technologies and categorized those frustrating incidents with the User Action Framework, an adaptation of Norman's seven stages of action for classifying usability problems. We found that many of the recalled frustrating incidents occurred while the user was in the Outcome phase and that most of those incidents were intrusive in the user's cognitive flow.
Surgical treatment of peptic ulcer.

Abstract One hundred sixty-eight operations carried out as definitive treatment for peptic ulcer were analyzed. Pyloroplasty and vagotomy are currently favored as the operation of choice, based on the low immediate complication rate and the fact that they offer the promise of permanent relief of ulcer symptoms in most patients.
Conceptual understanding in history

There has been considerable interest in the topic of conceptual understanding especially as found in mathematics and the sciences. The present paper discusses recent studies related to conceptual understanding in the domain of history, comparing the nature of understanding as found in history to that other domains. Included are considerations of the role of the sources of historical knowledge, narrativization, causation and explanation. In addition, it is pointed out that conceptual change in history may differ from that in the sciences because of the former’s emphasis upon the motives of people and the central role of the historian.
Making RN Orientation Better: Improving the Bone Marrow Transplant Experience

s / Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 20 (2014) S297eS315 S309 time to review the resume & invite those who expressed an interest in working in BMT, to take part in the program. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis: The PNA Program is a 10-week program where the leadership team provides the PNA with a chance to experience the inpatient arena, as well as the outpatient area of BMT. This is a unique opportunity for students to experience caring for patients in two unique settings without having the pressure of committing to transplant nursing as a career. The PNA is employed as a 40hour a week employee, with the time being split between working with the Registered Nurse and the Nursing Care Assistant. These 10 weeks are spent investing in this PNA. The investment in these nursing students has turned out to be very profitable. Over the past 4 years our applicant pool has been these same nursing students who want to come back & work in the area of BMT. Findings & Interpretation: Even though we have not changed our orientation program to reflect time spent as a PNA, we have found that as a new graduate the PNA has a better grasp on the foundations of BMT. Their assessment skills are outstanding and they are able to care for the more complex patient sooner in their professional development process. Discussion & Implications: Through the years we have to face some challenges with this tactic. One year, due to the staffing challenge we all face, there were six new hires being brought in during the time we would normally commit to having a PNA working on the unit. Due to the number of preceptors needed we were unable to provide the PNA with the opportunity to work in BMT. Other than this obstacle we have made this work. Currently the recruitment rate among PNA’s is 67% with hopes of improving this rate with the help of our unit based Work Culture, Clinical Practice and Education Shared Governance Councils.
Respiratory Complications of Metatropic Dwarfism

Two infants with clinical and radiologic features of metatropic dwarfism presented in the neonatal period with episodes of cyanosis. Diagnostic studies to determine the etiology of these spells, including electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, arterial blood gases, and metabolic and sepsis studies, were unremarkable. Chest roentgenograms revealed the characteristic long, narrow thoracic cage with no evidence of parenchymal disease.Cervical spine stability evaluation, pulmonary function studies, and chest impedance monitoring with qualitative air flow thermistor studies and transcutaneous oxygen monitoring were carried out. Both patients demonstrated a significant increase in resistance of the respiratory system following passive maneuvering of the head from a neutral position, suggestive of hypopharyngeal air flow obstruction. Obstructive sleep apnea resulting in cyanosis was documented in both patients. All other studies failed to yield a cause for the episodes of cyanosis. Our investigation failed to ...
Profiling the array of Cav3.1 variants from the human T‐type calcium channel gene CACNA1G: Alternative structures, developmental expression, and biophysical variations

We describe the regulated transcriptome of CACNA1G, a human gene for T-type Ca v 3.1 calcium channels that is subject to extensive alternative RNA splicing. Fifteen sites of transcript variation include 2 alternative 5'-UTR promoter sites, 2 alternative 3'-UTR polyadenylation sites, and 11 sites of alternative splicing within the open reading frame. A survey of 1580 fetal and adult human brain full-length complementary DNAs reveals a family of 30 distinct transcripts, including multiple functional forms that vary in expression with development. Statistical analyses of fetal and adult transcript populations reveal patterns of linkages among intramolecular splice site configurations that change dramatically with development. A shift from nearly independent, biased splicing in fetal transcripts to strongly concerted splicing in adult transcripts suggests progressive activation of multiple "programs" of splicing regulation that reorganize molecular structures in differentiating cells. Patch-clamp studies of nine selected variants help relate splicing regulation to permutations of the gating parameters most likely to modify T-channel physiology in expressing neurons. Gating behavior reflects combinatorial interactions between variable domains so that molecular phenotype depends on ensembles of coselected domains, consistent with the observed emergence of concerted splicing during development. We conclude that the structural gene and networks of splicing regulatory factors define an integrated system for the phenotypic variation of Ca v 3.1 biophysics during nervous system development.
Escribiendo memorias de la dictadura: Las asignaturas pendientes del cine argentino

Por mas de un cuarto de siglo, el cine argentino ha venido escribiendo memorias de la ultima dictadura (1976‑1983). La camara convertida en historiadora se encuentra frente a ciertos desafios. Que paso, por que paso, como pudo suceder, quienes son los responsables, y cuales son las secuelas en el tejido social, son algunas de las preguntas en busca de respuestas. Este articulo explora como se ha representado la dictadura y analiza cuatro peliculas de ficcion producidas y estrenadas en este siglo veintiuno: Kamchatka (Marcelo Pineyro, 2002), Cautiva (Gaston Biraben, 2003), Hermanas (Julia Solomonoff, 2004), y Cronica de una fuga (Israel Adrian Caetano, 2006).
Crop processing and chop length of corn silage : Effects on intake, digestion, and milk production by dairy cows

Effects of corn silage crop processing and chop length on intake, digestion, and milk production were evaluated. Corn silage treatments were harvested at one-half milkline stage of maturity (65% whole-plant moisture content) and at 0.95-cm theoretical length of cut without processing (control) or 0.95-, 1.45-, or 1.90-cm theoretical length of cut with processing at a 1-mm roll clearance. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein cows averaging 71 d in milk at trial initiation were in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design with 28-d periods; one square was comprised of ruminally cannulated cows for rumen measurements. Corn silage treatments were fed in total mixed rations containing 50% forage (67% corn silage and 33% alfalfa silage) and 50% corn and soybean meal based concentrate (dry matter basis). Dry matter intake (25.9 vs. 25.3 kg/d) and milk (46.0 vs. 44.8 kg/ d) and fat (1.42 vs. 1.35 kg/d) yields were higher for the processed corn silage treatments compared with the control corn silage. Within the processed corn silage treatments, there were no chop length effects on intake, milk production, or milk composition. Chewing activity was not different among the four corn silage treatments averaging 12 h/d. Total tract digestion of dietary starch was lower for control corn silage (95.1%) compared with fine, medium, and coarse processed corn silage treatments, which averaged 99.3%. Total tract digestion of dietary NDF was reduced for fine-processed corn silage compared with control corn silage and coarse-processed corn silage (28.4% vs. 33.9 and 33.7%, respectively). Processing corn silage improved dry matter intake, starch digestion, and lactation performance. Under the conditions of this study and with theoretical lengths of cut ranging from 0.95 to 1.90 cm, length of chop effects were minimal in processed corn silage.
A semi-analytical model for semiconductor solar cells: From detailed balance to practical devices

The detailed balance model for semiconductor solar cells is carefully examined and extended to include the impact of nonradiative recombination and other aspects of real solar cell devices, such as photon recycling, spontaneous emission coupling, and less than unity absorptance and emittance. The limiting efficiencies for single and multi-junction solar cells are analyzed taking nonradiative recombination and real material properties into account. Four fundamental loss mechanisms are clarified and discussed, including carrier and solar radiation losses, and as well carrier energy given up to thermalization and spatial relaxation. The fraction of solar power extracted and the fraction lost are investigated as a function of critical device parameters. Quantitative analysis shows that i) SRH recombination and spatial relaxation losses increase as the material quality decreases and ii) the optimal bandgap increases as the material quality decreases.
Bayes and equtvariant estimators of the variance of a finite population: part I, simple random sampling

The problem of estimating the variance of a finite population is studied in a Bayesian framework. On the basis of the moderntheoretical approach to sampling from finite populations and the special structure of the likelihood functions Bayes estimators of the population variance are derived. The structure of equivariant estimators is analyzed and Bayes equivariant estimators in the strict and the generalized sense are derived. The Bayes risk efficiency of the classical estimators is studied
Tropical commodity chains, forward integration strategies and international inequality: coffee, cocoa and tea

This paper presents a comparative analysis of three tropical commodity chains, for a set of commodities often grouped together as the tropical beverages: coffee, cocoa and tea. The analysis demonstrates the ways in which the structures of these chains reinforce the north-south dimension of international inequality and help to explain its persistence over time. It focuses on attempts by actors in the producing regions to move forward into the more advanced processing stages of the chains, in order to realize higher returns from their commodity exports. Comparisons across commodity chains identify structural features of the chains that set limits on, and open possibilities for, forward integration. Features considered include economies of scale in the early processing stages and the stage at which intermediate products first become storable and transportable. Comparisons across countries within commodity chains identify additional factors that help to explain successes or failures in individual cases: forms...
Necessity for evaluation of anomalous pulmonary venous return before percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects : A case report

About 10%-15% of patients with an atrial septal defect will have some form of anomalous pulmonary venous connection. With the advent of percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects, it is imperative that presence of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return be excluded to prevent unnecessary percutaneous closure in patients who would ultimately require a surgical approach. The authors herein report a 29-year-old man who underwent percutaneous closure of 2 atrial septal defects but was later found to have his left upper pulmonary vein draining into the innominate vein via a vertical vein. He subsequently underwent surgical repair of the anomalous pulmonary vein.
Evaluating the Hispanic Paradox in the Context of Adolescent Risky Sexual Behavior: The Role of Parent Monitoring

OBJECTIVE: In the United States, Hispanic adolescents are at elevated risk for negative outcomes related to risky sexual behavior. To evaluate potential protective factors for this group, we examined the fit of the Hispanic Paradox for sexual behavior among high-risk youth and the moderating role of parent monitoring. METHOD: We enrolled 323 justice-involved Hispanic youth (73% male; mean age 16 years), and measured generational status, parent monitoring (monitoring location, who children spend time with outside of school, family dinner frequency), and sexual risk behavior. RESULTS: There were no main effects for generational status on sexual behavior. Parent monitoring of location moderated the relationship between generational status and sexual behavior, such that greater monitoring of location was associated with less risky sexual behavior, but only for youth second generation and above. CONCLUSIONS: Rather than direct evidence supporting the Hispanic Paradox, we found a more nuanced relationship for generational status in this sample. Language: en
Genetic Polymorphisms of the Natriuretic Peptide System in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Disease: What Lies on the Horizon?

Background: The natriuretic peptide hormone family includes various proteins characterized by similar chemical structure and shared biological functions, with important effects on the cardiovascular system. Accordingly, these molecules are widely recognized as key clinical biomarkers in the diagnosis and monitoring of heart failure, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. Content: Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been recently identified in genes associated with the natriuretic system. This review provides an overview of new insights into the functional role of these genetic variants, as well as their impact on cardiovascular physiopathology and drug response. Conclusions: Noteworthy relationships between some specific polymorphisms and clinical correlates of cardiovascular disease have emerged. Nevertheless, future confirming studies are needed to substantiate the clinical relevance of such variants.
Correlation of the ratio of metastatic to non-metastatic cancer cases with the degree of socioeconomic deprivation among Texas counties

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that cancer registrations and hospital discharge rate are closely correlated with census data-based socioeconomic deprivation indices. We hypothesized that communities with higher degrees of socioeconomic deprivation tend to have a higher ratio of metastatic to non-metastatic cancer cases (lung, breast, prostate, female genital system, colorectal cancers or all types of cancers combined). In this study, we investigate the potential link between this ratio and the Wellbeing Index (WI) among Texas counties.
Management of Vitamin D Deficiency in Children and Adolescents

During the past two decades, vitamin D has gained considerable attention among researchers, health policy makers, and the general public within the United States. There is an accumulating body of evidence that supports the link between vitamin D deficiency (defined by the Endocrine Society as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 20 ng/ml) and important health outcomes including altered calcium homeostasis and the increased risk of developing diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer (Holick, Binkley, Bischoff-Ferrari, Gordon, Hanley, Heaney, 2011).
Effect of ethanol on the social behavior of group-housed and isolated mice.

The interaction between isolation and the response to ethanol was investigated with a social behavior test and a loss of righting reflex paradigm. The time a pair of mice spent in active social interaction, aggressive behavior, and avoidance-irritability showed an isolation-related increase, while locomotor activity was not affected by 0-10 days of isolation. Ethanol (0.8 g/kg) reduced the social interaction time in mice isolated for 10 days and 2.0 g/kg ethanol reduced it in all groups. Ethanol induced a locomotor stimulatory effect both in group-housed and isolated animals. An aggression-inducing effect of 0.8 g/kg ethanol was observed only in mice isolated for 5 days, while mice isolated for 10 days reduced their aggressive behavior after this dose of ethanol. The loss of righting reflex after 3.5 g/kg ethanol did not appear to vary with isolation. The results suggest that isolation alters some effects of ethanol qualitatively (e.g., its effects on aggressive behavior) but leaves other effects (e.g., its locomotor stimulant and hypnotic effects) unchanged.
Three ENU-induced alleles of the murine quaking locus are recessive embryonic lethal mutations.

Trois nouveaux alleles du phenotype «quaking» ont ete selectionnes par mutagenese par ENU. Ces alleles sont des mutations letales embryonnaires, qui ne se complement pas entre elles
Deoxycholic acid differentially regulates focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation: role of tyrosine phosphatase ShP2

Environmental factors, including dietary fats, are implicated in colonic carcinogenesis. Dietary fats modulate secondary bile acids including deoxycholic acid (DCA) concentrations in the colon, which are thought to contribute to the nutritional-related component of colon cancer risk. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that DCA differentially regulated the site-specific phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). DCA decreased adhesion of HCA-7 cells to the substratum and induced dephosphorylation of FAK at tyrosine-576/577 (Tyr-576/577) and Tyr-925. Tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK at Tyr-397 remained unaffected by DCA stimulation. Interestingly, we found that c-Src was constitutively associated with FAK and DCA actually activated Src, despite no change in FAK-397 and an inhibition of FAK-576 phosphorylation. DCA concomitantly and significantly increased association of tyrosine phosphatase ShP2 with FAK. Incubation of immunoprecipitated FAK, in vitro, with glutathione-S-transferase-ShP2 fusion protein resulted in tyrosine dephosphorylation of FAK in a concentration-dependent manner. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides directed against ShP2 decreased ShP2 protein levels and attenuated DCA-induced FAK dephosphorylation. Inhibition of FAK by adenoviral-mediated overexpression of FAK-related nonkinase and gene silencing of Shp2 both abolished DCA's effect on cell adhesion, thus providing a possible mechanism for inside-out signaling by DCA in colon cancer cells. Our results suggest that DCA differentially regulates focal adhesion complexes and that tyrosine phosphatase ShP2 has a role in DCA signaling.
Absence of TRAM Restricts Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signaling in Vascular Endothelial Cells to the MyD88 Pathway

Mammalian cells respond to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through a cognate receptor: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). The signaling pathways, which link TLR4 to the proinflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), occur through the intracellular docking proteins MyD88 and Trif. We hypothesize that unlike antigen-presenting cells, vascular endothelial cells (ECs) lack the Trif protein TRAM and are therefore incapable of eliciting Trif-dependent immune responses to LPS. Stimulation of wild-type mice with LPS leads to the activation of NF-kappaB in ECs and macrophages in vitro and in vivo. In contrast to macrophages, LPS did not activate endothelial NF-kappaB or NF-kappaB-dependent genes in MyD88(-/-) mice, suggesting the absence of a functional Trif pathway in vascular ECs. Indeed, the Trif-dependent gene cxcl10 was not expressed in ECs after LPS stimulation. This correlated with diminished expression of the Trif accessory TIR protein TRAM in ECs. Overexpression of TRAM cDNA in ECs reconstituted LPS-induced Trif-dependent NF-kappaB activation and cxcl10 promoter activity. The functional absence of TRAM in vascular ECs restricts TLR4 signaling to MyD88-dependent pathway. This is in contrast to macrophages, which respond to LPS via both Trif- and MyD88-dependent pathways. These findings indicate that vascular ECs do not express the Trif-dependent gene subset. This implies that these genes may be dispensable for the endothelial response to bacterial infection and play no role in the endothelial contribution to the development of atherosclerosis.
Interactive simulation of fire in virtual building environments

This paper describes the integration of the Berkeley Architectural Walkthrough Program with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s CFAST fire simulator. The integrated system creates a simulation based design environment for building fire safety systems; it also allows fire safety engineers to evaluate the performance of building designs, and helps make performance-based fire codes possible. We demonstrate that the visibility preprocessing and spatial decomposition used in the Walkthru also allow optimization of the data transfer between the simulator and visualizer. This optimization improves the ability to use available communication bandwidth to get needed simulation data to the Walkthru in the best order to visualize results in real time; an appropriate communication model and data structures are presented. General issues arising in the integration of environmental simulations and virtual worlds are discussed, as well as the specifics of the Walkthru-CFAST system, including relevant aspects of the user interface and of the visualization and simulation programming interfaces. A recommendation is made to structure future simulators in such a way that they can selectively direct their computational efforts toward specified spacetime regions of interest and thereby support real-time, interactive virtual environment visualization more effectively. CR Categories: I.3.2 [Computer Graphics]: Graphics Systems— Distributed/Network Graphics; I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques—Graphics Data Structures and Data Types; I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques—Interaction Techniques; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism—Virtual Reality; I.6.7 [Simulation and Modeling]: Simulation Support Systems—Environments; J.6 [Computer-Aided Engineering]: Computer-Aided Design.
A robust approach to the UAV task assignment problem

This paper presents a new robust approach to the task assignment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in uncertain dynamic environments for which the optimization data, such as target cost and target–UAV distances, are time varying and uncertain. The impact of this uncertainty in the data is mitigated by tightly integrating two approaches for improving the robustness of the assignment algorithm. One approach is to design task assignment plans that are robust to the uncertainty in the data, which reduces the sensitivity to errors in the situational awareness (SA), but can be overly conservative for long duration plans. A second approach is to replan as the SA is updated, which results in the best plan given the current information, but can lead to a churning type of instability if the updates are performed too rapidly. The strategy proposed in this paper combines robust planning with the techniques developed to eliminate churning. This combination results in the robust filter-embedded task assignment algorithm that uses both proactive techniques that hedge against the uncertainty, and reactive approaches that limit churning behavior by the vehicles. Numerous simulations are shown to demonstrate the performance benefits of this new algorithm. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antiserum against tumor necrosis factor increases stress hyperthermia in rats

Psychological stress (e.g., exposure to a novel environment) causes a rapid rise in body temperature in rats. In this study, we examined the roles of physical activity and the immune cytokine tumor necrosis factor or cachectin (TNF) in this temperature change. The elevation in temperature of rats exposed to cage-switch stress during the day correlated poorly with the increase in activity (r = 0.07; P = 0.84) and, during cage switch at night, correlated negatively (r = 0.64; P = 0.04). TNF was not detected in the plasma or cerebrospinal fluid of rats after exposure to open-field stress. However, the injection of antiserum against TNF 3.5 h before exposure to the stress of being in an open field resulted in a significantly greater hyperthermia than was seen in the control serum-injected rats (1.38 +/- 0.11 vs. 0.79 +/- 0.14 degrees C; P = 0.002). The peak temperature change after cage-switch stress was similarly increased in rats that had been injected with anti-TNF (0.82 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.50 +/- 0.08 degrees C; P = 0.016). This enhanced hyperthermia is similar to the excessively high fever that occurs during the later phase of lipopolysaccharide fever in animals that have been injected with antiserum against TNF. These data support the hypotheses that stress hyperthermia is a true fever and that TNF is an endogenous antipyretic, limiting the magnitude of this fever.
Surgeon-directed ultrasound for trauma is a predictor of intra-abdominal injury in children.

This study investigated the efficacy of surgeon-directed focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) in conjunction with physical exam (PEx) as a predictor of intra-abdominal injury in children. Injured children (ages ≤17) presenting to a level I trauma center with abdominal trauma were evaluated in the emergency department (ED) by the trauma team of surgical attend-ings and residents. PEx and FAST were performed immediately upon arrival to the ED and results compared to CT, the standard exam for presence of intra-abdominal injury. Data was collected prospectively from July 1, 2000, until April 30, 2002. One hundred and twenty injured children underwent evaluation of abdominal trauma with PEx, FAST, and abdominal CT. Two patients had false-negative CT scans. Bayesian analysis was applied to the results of the remaining 118 patients. FAST compared with CT findings revealed sensitivity 70 per cent, specificity 100 per cent, positive predictive value 100 per cent, and negative predictive value 92 per cent. FAST results were combined with PEx findings such that either suggestive of intra-abdominal injury was regarded as a positive exam. Sensitivity was 100 per cent, specificity 74 per cent, positive predictive value 53 per cent, and negative predictive value 100 per cent. Surgeon-directed FAST with consideration of PEx is a predictor of intra-abdominal injury in children.